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FEMALE 


SCRIPTURE BIOGRzlPHY: 

• INCLUDING 

ON 

WHAT CHRISTIA^^ITF HAS LOXE FOR 

WOMEN. 

by 

FRANCIS AUGUSTUS COX, A.M. 

—— 

“ It is a necessary charity to the (female) sez to acquaint them with their own value, to animate 
them to some hij^her thoughts of themselves; not to yield their suffrage to those injurious estimates 
the world hath made of them, and from a supposed incapacity of nobler things, to neglect the pur¬ 
suit of them ; from which God and nature have no more precluded the feminine than the masculine 
part cf mankind.” Th* Ladiei' Calling, Pref. 


—o«>o-— 

VOL. J. 


PUBLISHED BY JAMES EASTBURN fr CO. 

AT THE LITERARY ROOMS, BROADWAY, CORNER OF 

PINE-STREET. 

« 

• Abraham Paul, printer. 

1817. 







I.ABIES OF GREAT BRITAIN, 

THIS WORK 

IS 


RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBE©. 







/- 


1 -^ 





'i; 



1 .4i 








t 


PREFACE. 

JN^OT WITH STANDING the variety of theological 
publications of a devotional class, which are perpe¬ 
tually issuing from the press, the author concurs in the 
opinion of those who think they can scarcely be too 
numerous."' It may reasonably be hoped, that in pro¬ 
portion to the multiplication of works of this kind, 
the almost incalculable diversities of taste will be 
suited ; and that those who may be disinclined to one 
style of writing, or to a particular series of subjects, 
may be allured by their predilections to the perusal 
of others. 

Amidst the general plenty, however, there is one 

department which experiences a degree of scarcity__ 

a department to which these volumes properly belong. 
Pious families require a supply of religious reading, 
adapted to occupy the intervals of business, the hours 
of devotion, and the time which is often and properly 
appropriated to domestic instruction in the evenings 
of the Christian sabbath. To have the minds of the 

a2 




VI 


PREFACE. 


young directed at such seasons, not only to the truths 
of religion in general, but the more attractive parts of 
Scripture in particular, seems highly important. By 
a happy combination of amusement and instruction, 
piety is divested of her formality, and clothed with 
fascination : the ear is caught, and the heart gained; 
while, the narrative interests, the best lessons become 
impressed even upon the gay and the trifling; and he 
who, when summoned to the social circle, sat down 
with reluctance, may rise up with regret. 

Whoever has been blessed with the advantages of 
a religious education, and recurs to his own years of 
juvenile susceptibility, cannot forget the strong im¬ 
pressions he received by these means; and must have 
had frequent occasion to remark the tenaciousness 
with which they have lingered in his memory, and 

sprung up* amidst his recollections at every subse- 

« 

quent period. In many cases they have proved the 
basis of future eminence’in piety, and blended de¬ 
lightfully with the gladdening retrospections of de¬ 
clining life. In those instances, where all the good 
effects which might be anticipated did not appear, 
these early lessons have checked the impetuosity of 
passion, neutralized the force of temptation, and 
cherished the convictions of an incipient piety. 

The writer of the following pages is aware of the 
just celebrity acquired by some of his predecessors 
in the same line of composition, and he might have 
felt wholly deterred from pursuing his design, by an 
apprehension of having been superseded by the ele¬ 
gant and comprehensive lectures of Hunter,, and the;: 
simple, perspicuoujs^ and. devotional biography ofRo- 



PREFACE. 


Vll 


BiNSON, had he not remarked that their notices of the 
women in Scripture formed but a small proportion of 
their respective works; and that the present per¬ 
formance might be very properly considered as a 
continuation of their volumes, particularly of those 
of the latter author. 

It will be seen, that some of the same characters 
which have been given in preceding writers, appear 
in the “Female Scripture Biographybut the reader* 
may perhaps be conciliated to this seeming repeti- 
tition, by being reminded that they were necessarily 
retouched, in order to complete the series ; while the 
writer satisfies himself with the reflection, that what¬ 
ever subjects are deduced from Scripture, are not 
only unexhausted, but will for ever remain inexhaust¬ 
ible. The “ wells of salvation,” from which preced¬ 
ing ages have drawn, still afford to us, and will sup¬ 
ply, to far-distant generations, the same spiritual, co¬ 
pious, and unfailing refreshment. 

The introductory Essay to the second volume, re¬ 
specting the influence of Christianity on the condi¬ 
tion of the female sex, has been somewhat divested of 
that literary cast which: it might have been expected tO: 
assume, the better to accord with the general drift of 
the work,. The reader will, it is confidently antici¬ 
pated, deem it oo unacceptable addition. 






CONTEJJTS OF VOL. I. 


Page 


EVE.^CHAPTER I. 

Superiority of man in the universe—present degradation of reason—' 
the mere philosopher and the Christian contrasted—God seen in all 
his works—creation of man—his corporeal and mental constitution— 
value of the soul—Adam in Paradise—alone—supplied with a help 
meet—Revelation points out the true dignity of the female character— 
one woman given to the man—the fall—aggravated and complex 
nature of the sin of Eve—consequenrps, tbe loss of Eden—loss of thO' 
fevour of God—loss of life—ruin of posterity—remarks to obviate 
some difficulties attaching to this subject in general . . . 1 

SARAH.—CHAPTER IT. 

Abraham’s departure from Chaldea—his faith—its failure—Sarah and 
Abraham agree to prevaricate—the admiration which Sarah attract- •• 
ed—Abraham’s dismissal from the country of Egypt—beauty and 
dress-impnrtnnrp of* o. proper oduoation parental vanity- SOUrce 

of real attraction—Sarah proposes to Abraham to take Hagar—un¬ 
happy consequences—Hagar’s flight and return—visit of three an¬ 
gels—Sarah’s laughter at the subject of their commission—her sub¬ 
sequent character—general remarks—birth of Isaac—Ishmael’s con¬ 
duct and its consequences—Sarah’s death .... 26 

HAGAR.—CHAPTER III. 

Retrospective’ glance at the history—Hagar—the wilderness—angelic . 
manifestation—divine promises—a view of their accomplishment— 
Hagar’s pici)'—her second baiiislunent and distress—another inter¬ 
position—Providence illustrated.5^ 

LOT'S WIFE.—CHAPTER IV. 

Delusions to which the young in particular are exposed—Lot’s errone¬ 
ous choice—sin brings punishment—advantages of Lot’s wife—her 




Prsface 



X CONTENTS. ^ 

Page 

remarkable deliverance—her guilt—general causes of apostacy 
traced, fear, love of the world, levity of mind, pride—doom of Lot’s 
wife . . .... . . • • • • 

REBEKAH.—CHAPTER V, 


SECTION I. 

Progress of time—patriarchal mode of living—Abraham’s solicitude 
respecting the settlement of his son—sends his servant to procure 
him a wife—his arrival in the vicinity of Nahor—his meeting with 
Rebekah—her behaviour, and their conversation—the good qualities 
already discoverable in Rebekah, which render her worthy of imi¬ 
tation—her industrious and domesticated habits—vuiaffected simpli¬ 
city—modesty—courtesy—^humanity . . . • • 8® 

SECTION II. 

The servant of Abraham cordially received into the house of Laban— 
tells his story—proposes to take Rebekah—consent of her family— 
her readiness to go—the interview with Isaac—Rebekah becomes 
his wife—their anxieties—birth of Jacob and Esau—Isaac’s death¬ 
bed, and Rebekah’s unwarrantable proceedings—her solicitude re¬ 
specting her son’s future conduct . . . . . .106 

MJJRIAM.^-OIIArTI3n VI. 

Proceedings of the new king of Egypt—birth of Moses—conduct of Mi¬ 
riam—preservation of Moses—escape.of Israel—Miriam’s zeal in 
celebrating the event—her character formed by early advantages— 
contrasted with Michal— she engages with Aaron in a plot against 
Moses—^God observes it—trial—punishment of leprosy inflicted upon 
Miriam—her cure—dies at Radesh—general remarks on slander— 
debasing nature of sin—hope of escaping punishment fallacious— 
danger of opposiug Christ—exlionatloii to iniitiite (lit: temper of 
Moses ..120 

NAOMI, ORPAIT, AND RUTH—CHAPTER VIL 

SECTION I. 

History of domestic life most instructive—book of Ruth—sketch of the 
family of Elimelech while residing in Moab—'reflections arising out 
of a view of their circumstances—Naomi’s resolution to return, and 
that of her daughters-in-law to accompany her—Orpah soon quits her 
mother and sister—her character, and that of Ruth—requirements 
of religion—arrival of Naomi and Ruth at Bethlehem—feelings of 
the former. ..141 

SECTION II. 

Time of the return to Bethlehem—Ruth offers to go and glean—dispo¬ 
sitions indicated by this proposal—she happens upon the field of 





CONTENTS. 


XI 


Boaz—his kindness—their conversation—additional favours—Ruth’s 
return home—her mother-in-law’s wish to connect her in marriage 
with Boaz—the measures she suggests, and which her daughter 
adopts with ultimate success—their marriage—birth of a son—con¬ 
cluding remarks. 157 

DEBORA H.—CARTER VIII. 

SECTION I. 

Historical retrospect—Deborah sitting as a judge and prophetess under 
a palm-tree—sends to Barak to confront Sisera—accompanies him— 
preparations for battle—victorious result—death of Sisera—reflec¬ 
tions * . . . . . . . . . . . 174 


SECTION II. 

Capacity of Deborah as a poetess—paraphrase of her remarkable song 
composed to celebrate the victory over Sisera . . . .195 

MANOAH'S WIFE.—CHAPTER IX. 

State of Israel—appearance of an angel to the wife of Manoah—she 
communicates the design of his visit to her husband—second mani¬ 
festation from heaven-—result of the interview—reflection of Manoah’s 
wife stated and analyzed—considerations deducible from the narra¬ 
tive—to avoid precipitancy of judgment—to avow our convictions at 
every suitable opportunity—rto feel assured that the providence of God ' 


does never really, though it may apparently,^ontradict his word 
HANNAH.—CHAPTER X. 


206 


SECTION I. 

Religion a source of peace—account of Elkanah and his two wives— 
Peninnah reproaches Hannah—sin of despising: Others for their infirm¬ 
ities—the family at Shiloh—Elkanah endeavours to console his wife— 
her conduct and prayer—Eli’s unjust imputation—Hannah’s de¬ 
fence, and her accuser’s retraction—return from Shiloh—birth of 
Samuel—his weaning '.. . 223 

SECTION II. 

Samuel is devoted to the service of the sanctuary—uniformity of cha¬ 
racter exemplified in Hannah—her song paraphrased—five other 
children born to Hannah—view of her natural kindness and self-de¬ 
nying piety . . ..242 

ABIGAIL—CHAPTER XI. 

^ Many persons naturally capable of great attainments and elevated sta¬ 
tions have lived and died unknown—the dispensations of Providence' 
analogous in this respect to the arrangements of nature—Scripture 
■ account of Nabal and Abigail—sources of incongruous marriages— 




XU CONTENTS. 

Page 

ambition—wish to maintain the respectability of a family—persuasion 
of friends—early disappointments—Nabal’s conduct to David—Abi¬ 
gail’s interposition—death of her husband—^^she becomes David’s wife 255 

THE QUEEN OF SHEBA—CHAPTER XIL 

David’s anxiety for his son—its happy issue—Solomon’s prayer, and the 
answer of God—Solomon’s riches and fame—the queen of Sheba’s 
visit—her country ascertained—such solicitude for wisdom not coqi- 
mon—she proves Solomon with hard questions—her desire of know¬ 
ledge worthy of imitation—Solomon’s conduct—his buildings—the 
queen’s congraulatory address—retlections—her presents to Solomon, 
and his to the queen of Sheba—^Christ’s application of the subject 266 

THE SHUNAMMITE —CHAPTER Xlll. 

fSECTlON I. 

Characteristic difference between profane and sacred history—the Shu- 
nammite introduced—her hospitality—proposes to her husband to 
accommodate Elisha with a chamber—the gratitude manifested by 
the prophet in offering to speak for her to the king—her reply ex¬ 
pressive of contentment—vai’ious considerations calculated to pro¬ 
mote this disposition—advantages of a daily and deep impression of 
the transitory nature of our possessions, and of keeping another life 
in view .......... . 285 

SECTION II. • 

• 

Elisha promises a son to th#Shunammite—his birth—his sudden death, 
in consequence of being sun-smitten—she repairs to the prophet—her 
expression of profound submission to the will of God—her subse¬ 
quent impassioned appeal to Elisha—the child restored to life—the 
Shunammite’s removal into Philistia, and return—her successful ap¬ 
plication to the king fnr fh#* iv^ctoratlon of her property . . 305 

ESTHER.—CHAPTER XIV. 

\ 

The feasts of the king of Persia—his queen Vashti sent for—her refusal 
to obey the summons—her divorce—plan to fill up the vacancy— 

> Esther chosen queen—Mordecai detects a conspiracy—declines pay¬ 
ing homage to Haman—resentment of the latter, who obtains a de¬ 
cree against the Jews—Mordecai’s grief, and repeated applications 
to Esther—she goes in to the king—is accepted—invites the king and 
Haman to a banquet—mortification of the latter at Mordecai’s conti¬ 
nued neglect—orders a gallows to be built for the disrespectful Jew 
—the honour conferred by the king upon Mordecai for his past zeal 
in his service—Haman’s indignation—is fetched to a second banquet 
—Esther tells her feelings, and accuses Haman—his confusion and 
useless entreaties—he is hung on his own gallows—Mordecai’s ad¬ 
vancement—escape of the Jews by the intercession of Esther—feast 
of Purim.. . 320 





FEMALE 


SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

‘ EVE, 

CHAPTER I. 

Superiority of man in the universe—present degradation of reason—the 
• mere philosopher and the Christian contrasted—God seen in all his 
works—Creation of man---hrs -corporeal and mental constitution—value 
of the soul—Adam in Paradise—alone—‘supplied with a help meet—Re¬ 
velation points out the true dignity of the female character—one woman 
given to the man—the fall—aggravated and complex nature of the sin of 
Eve—consequences, the loss of Eden—loss of the favour of God—loss of 
life—ruin of posterity—remarks to obviate some difficulties attaching to 
tliis subject in general. 


What a glorious pre-eminence in the creation has 
Infinite Wisdom assigned to the human species ! As the 
skilful architect finishes his performance by the most 
exquisite specimens of workmanship, so “ the great 
Builder” of this “ varied frame,” after the formation of 
matter, proceeded to impart life, to communicate instinct, 
and to inspire reason. “ And God said. Let us make man 
in our image, after our likeness; and let them have 
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of 
the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and 
over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 
So God created man in his own image; in the image 
of God created he him; male and female created he 
them.”* 

The superiority of man to matter however fair, to 
Ufe however pleasing, to instinct however perfect, ap- 


VoL. I. 


^ Gen. i. 26,27. 

B 


2 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHr. 

pears in this, that he only is capable of contemplating 
and 'admiring the works of God—he only has an eye that 
opens upon the heavens, and a mind adapted to receive 
impressions from their diversified glories. 

But even reason, in its present state, is so degraded, 
that the wonders of creative wisdom are, in a considera¬ 
ble degree, overlooked or undervalued. The heavens, 
with all their stars, and suns, and systems, exhibit few 
beauties to the great mass of inattentive spectators ; and 
the observance of them, by day and by night, excites 
' no correspondent emotions. All is a blank! Plunged 
into an abyss of cares and anxieties, chained to the oar 
of constant, unvarying labour; and solicitous only “ to 
buy and sell, and get gain,” to them “ the heavens declare 
the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy- 
work” almost in vain! 

Nor can it escape observation, that valuable as. the 
discoveries of philosophy are, the mere discoverer who 
converts his knowledge to no pious purpose, is the most 
infatuated of human beings. While he contemplates dis¬ 
tances, magnitudes, and number—while he investigates 
the laws of motion, and the phenomena of nature—while 
he points the telescope to gaze on fiery comets, to 
pursue wandering planets in their orbits, to detect hi¬ 
therto undiscovered globes of matter in the fields of 
space, merely to gratify curiosity or to acquire fame— 
the Christian contemplates the scene with another eye, 
and with far different sentiments. He sees God in all. 
‘‘ This,” says he, is his creation—this the work of his 

fingers—these the productions of his skill”_“ by his 

Spirit he hath garnished the heavens ”—he hath ap¬ 
pointed “the sweet influences of the Pleiades', and 
looseth the bands of Orion ”—he “ bringeth forth Maz- 
zarothin his season, and guides Arcturus with his sons.”* 
Yonder sun was formed and fixed by his mighty 
power—that moon, which walks forth in brightness, and 
those stars, which glitter on the robe of night, were kin- 

# Job ssvi. 13.—xxxviii, 31, 22. 


EVE. 


3 


died by hts energy, and shine by his command. “ Lift 
up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these 
things, that bringeth out their host by number ; he call- 
eth them all by names. 

The God of nature is the God of truth, the God of 
revelation, and the God of Israel. If the Christian con¬ 
template the firmament, or look into the Bible, he sees 
the same Being. His operations are diverse, but it is the 
same God. If he go, like Isaac, “ into the fields to me¬ 
ditate at the eventide,”! he meets with God in every 
leaf, in every stream, and in every star ; if he enter into 
his closet to read the Scriptures, still he finds God in 
every page and in every truth ; or if he pray, it is to 
“his Father who seeth in secret.”! He may change 
his place, but he can never remove from this lovely 
presence. “ Nevertheless, I am continually with thee.”§ 
Hence nature shines with new glory in his eyes. God, 
in the sun, conducts him by a delightful association of 
ideas, and a frequent train of reflection, to “ God in 
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing 
their trespasses unto them.”|| 

Years before Creation was the work of six days, upon 
Christ, 4004. the third of which the earth was formed, and 
clothed with vegetative fertility; on the last “ the Lord 
God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed 
into his nostrils the breath of life 5 and man became a 
living soul.It is for this reason that Eternal Wisdom 
is represented as “ rejoicing in the habitable part of his 
earth, and her delights were with the sons of men.”!! 
The uninhabited part of the earth is surely worthy of 
divine complacency. It forms a portion of that universe 
which the Supreme Architect at first pronounced to be 
“ very good.” The most retired places of this terres¬ 
trial globe, those extensive deserts which were never 
printed by the human foot, those dens and caves, deep 
valleys and cloud-encircled mountains, where silence and 

Isa. xl. 26. ! Gen. xxiv. 63. f Mat. vi. 4—6. } Ps. Ixxiii. 23. 

II 2 Cor. V, 19, ** Gen. ii. 7 . ff Prov. viii. 31. 


4 


FEMALE SCRrPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


solitude have reigned from the beginning of time, contain 
innumerable manifestations of wisdom, power, and good¬ 
ness. Wisdom might rejoice in a thousand wonders that 
lie concealed within the bowels of the earth, or in the 
caverns of the ocean, a world of mineral productions 
which our utmost research fails to discover;—but the 
habitable part of the earth has ever excited the highest 
interest, as the residence of his intelligent creature, and 
the anticipated scene where the mediatorial work of his 
“ beloved Son” w’as to be accomplished. 

Man has been called “ an abridgment of the uni¬ 
verse,”^ uniting in himself the extremes of being; in 
bis body connected with the material, in his soul with the 
spiritual world ;—by his corporeal constitution a tit in- 
liabitant of the earth, by his intellectual faculties a suit¬ 
able tenant for the skies. 

The soul of man constitutes the perfection of his na¬ 
ture, being destined to survive the dissolution of his body, 
and capable of everlasting progression in knowledge and 
felicity. And here a vast, an illimitable field of observa¬ 
tion presents itself to view; but we must pass by it with 
only one practical remark. The welfare of this immortal 
soul ought to become the object of our principal solicitude. 
Considering the extent of its capacities, the indissoluble 
nature of its constituent principles, the novel and inter¬ 
esting circumstances under which it will hereafter exist, 
its total incompetency to provide for itself under those 
amazing vicissitudes which it is destined to undergo in a 
change of worlds, and the unalterable perpetuity of its 
future condition, how inconsiderate and how presump¬ 
tuous must that individual be who neglects its interests, 
and acts in constant hostility to the first great law of na¬ 
ture, SELF-PRESERVATION ! Theppotomartyp of the'Chris- 
tian age evinced a wise anxiety when he exclaimed, in 
his dying moments, “ Lord Jesus, receive my spirity\ 
He was aware that his body would soon be consigned by 


* Bates. 


f Acts vii. 59. 


EVE. 


6 


the fury of persecution to its native dust, but this excited 
comparatively little concern. To him it was of no im¬ 
portance whether his grave were with the rich or the 
poor, whether his burying-place were an obscure or an 
illustrious spot : he was anxious for the salvation of his 
soul. Unhappily, mankind in general lavish all their 
cares upon the body, to embellish or preserve it, to pam¬ 
per its appetites, or to minister to its artificial necessities: 
but what an infatuation is it, to provide for that which 
perishes, and to be careless of that which is immortal— 
to decorate the walls, and to despise the furniture— 
to value the casket, and to throw away the jewel! 

The situation of Adam in the garden of Eden, shows 
that his Creator had adopted every proper expedient to 
promote his felicity. The place selected for his re¬ 
sidence was in the highest degree rich and fertile, fur¬ 
nished with every suitable accommodation, and “ well 
watered” by a large river which ran through it, and 
afterward divided itself into four considerable branches. 
In being directed to “ dress” and to “ keep” the gar¬ 
den, the goodness of God appears in providing him with 
an employment adapted to a state of primitive innocence, 
and calculated by a proper occupation of his time to pro¬ 
mote his happiness. A slothful inactivity is not only in¬ 
compatible with true enjoyment in our fallen state, but 
would have been inconsistent with the bliss of original 
paradise ; and even when our nature shall have at¬ 
tained its greatest perfection in a future world, an inces¬ 
sant exertion of our intellectual powers and moral ca¬ 
pacities, is represented as essential to the joy of hea¬ 
ven. There “ his servants shall serve him.”* 

“ When we think of Paradise,” observes Bishop 
Horne, “ we think of it as the seat of delight, 1 he 
name Eden authorizes us so to do. It signifies plea¬ 
sure, and the idea of pleasure is inseparable from that 
of a garden, where man still seeks after lost happiness. 

. * Rev. xxii. 3. 

B 2 


6 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


and where, perhaps, a good man finds the nearest reseni' 
blance of it which this world affords.”—“ What is requi¬ 
site,” exclaims a great and original genius, “ to make 
a wise and a happy man, but reflection and peace ? 
And both are the natural growth of a garden. A gar¬ 
den to the virtuous is a paradise still extant, a para¬ 
dise unlost.”* The culture of a garden, as it was the first 
employment of man, so it is that to which the most emi¬ 
nent persons in different ages have retired, from the camp 
and the cabinet, to pass the interval between a life of action 
and a removal hence. When old Dioclesian was invited 
from his retreat, to resume the purple which he had 
laid down some years before, “ Ah,” said he, “ could 
you but see those fruits and herbs of mine own raising at 
Salona, you would never talk to me of empire 
An accomplished statesman of our own country, who 
spent the latter part of his life in this manner, has so 
well described the advantages of it, that it would be 
injustice to communicate his ideas in any words but 
his own. “ No other sort of abode,” says he, “ seems to 
contribute so much both to tranquillity of mind and in¬ 
dolence of body The sweetness of the air, the plea¬ 
santness of the smell, the verdure of plants, the clearness 
and lightness of food, the exercise of working or w'alk- 
ing ; but above all, the exemption from care and soli¬ 
citude, seem equally to favour and improve both con¬ 
templation and health, the enjoyment of sense and ima¬ 
gination, and thereby the quiet and ease both of body and 
mind. ' A garden has been the inclination of kings, and 
the choice of philosophers'; the common favourite of 
public and private men; the pleasure of the greatest, 
and the care of the meanest; an employment and a 
possession for which no man is too high nor too low. 
If we believe the Scriptures, we must allow that God 
Almighty esteemed the life of man in a garden the hap¬ 
piest he could give him, or else he would not have j^>lace4 


* Yovnc’s Centaur ngt Jabv.ltni^, p. 61. 


EVE. 


7 


Adam in that of Eden.”^ Traditions of this state of pri¬ 
meval felicity are current amongst all nations ; they are 
discoverable in the Roman and Grecian fables of the 
gardens of Flora, of Alcinous, and of the Hesperides ; 
and in the pleasing fictions of the poets respecting the 
golden age. 

Thus the Lord God formed the nature of man pure,, 
placed him in a garden of delights, and poured around 
him rivers of joy. The-heavens and the earth, the vi¬ 
sible and invisible worlds, animate and inanimate, mate¬ 
rial and spiritual beings, conspired to replenish his cup 
of bliss ; and, as the perfection of his felicity, God himself 
condescended to visit his creature. 

Human transgression has disturbed the peace of human 
life } but man, in his primeval state, was exposed to no 
changes ; his cup had no bitterness, his day no cloud, his 
path no thorn ; the pa&t had no regrets, the present no 
guilt, the future no terror ; the stream of mercy flowed 
into Paradise with uninterrupted course, and the beam of 
prosperity shone with unfading brightness and unsetting 
splendour. 

In this exalted condition there was neither corporeal 
nor mental debility ; and the body and soul were not more 
closely connected in the constitution of their being, than 
in the harmony of their friendship. There was no oppo¬ 
sition between the flesh and the spirit, no internal war¬ 
fare, no unhappy disagreement; the dictates of a pure 
mind were unreluctantly obeyed by the faculties of an 
uncorrupted body ; for it appears to have been the esta¬ 
blished order of Infinite Wisdom in the constitution of 
the universe, that matter should be in subjection to spirit, 
body to soul, animals to rational creatures, and man to 
God : his understanding was clear, his judgment correct, 
his affections holy, his will free, his reason upright; he 
desired only what was desirable, he loved only what was 
lovely; the. whole moral machinery was in the most com- 

* Sir William Temple’s Gardens of Epicurus. Horne’s Disc, 
vol. 1. 



B FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

plete order, the fine-toned instrument constructed by om¬ 
niscient skill, was in perfect tune! 

But notwithstanding the diversified means of enjoyment 
with which Adam was furnished, his paradise was still 
incomplete ; one ingredient was wanting to his cup of 
joy. Although the place of his residence was, as the 
greatest of poets describes it, 

“ A happy rural seat of various view-” 

although diversified with ‘‘ groves,” and “ lawns,” and 
“ level downs,” and “ flocks,” and “ irriguous valleys,” 
and “ umbrageous grots and caves of cool recess,” and’ 
“ murm’ring waters,” and “ airs, Vernal airs—” 

“ while universal Pan, 

Knit with the Graces and the Hours in dance, 

Led on th’ eternal spring— 

the favoured lord of this unrivalled dominion was alone. 
The inanimate creation spread before his view its un¬ 
paralleled beauties, and nature furnished a table to supply 
all his wants; the animal world acknowledged his supe¬ 
riority, and went to him to receive their names; his 
Maker condescended to hold communion with this excel¬ 
lent and intellectual creature, admitting him to that sacred 
intercourse, and imparting some of that divine knowledge 
which will no doubt constitute the future felicity of em- 
paradised believers : still he had no companion, no one 
to share his pleasures, no one upon equal terms to whom 
he could communicate his sentiments. Endowed with a 
social nature, he had at present no social means ; he 
seemed as if placed in that solitary point, that fair, but 
- desolate region,, where he saw thousands of creatures 
below him and above him, but none upon that pleasing 
level which conduces to a delightful and profitable famir 
liarity. 

This defect, however, scarcely existed before the 
goodness of his Maker supplied it. “ And the Lord God 
said, It is not good that the man should be alone ; I will 
make, him a help meet for him.”* The process by 


* Gen. ii. 18. 




EVE. 


9 


which this merciful intention was accomplished appears 
truly wonderful: Adam was put into a profound sleep> 
and the Lord God took out one of his ribs, from which 
he made a woman, and closed up the flesh. What must 
have been the emotions of our great progenitor, when, 
upon awaking from his supernatural slumber, this “ help 
meet” was presented to him! He had, it seems, an 
intuitive perception of the kind purpose for which this 
female companion of his future days was made ; or some 
immediate revelation disclosing both tlie manner of her 
formation, and the reason of his being presented with 
this invaluable gift. In the first transports of gratitude 
he exclaimed, “ This is now bone of my bone, and flesh 
of my flesh; she shall be called woman (or Ishah,) be¬ 
cause she was taken out of man.” This name was after¬ 
wards changed by him to Havali, or eve ; assigning, as 
a reason, that “ she was the mother of all living.”* This 
name we have placed at the head of the list of female 
characters in the present work ; and while her brief his¬ 
tory is replete with instruction, it possesses an additional 
interest, from the consideration of her being the Jirst 
woman. We are conducted back to the infancy of time, 
to the origin of human being, to the cause of the present 
degradation of our race, to an impressive exhibition of 
the evil of sin, and to the dawn of redeeming mercy upon 
this world of transgressors. In this history we shall 
perceive reasons both for humiliation and triumph ; we 
shall see human nature in ruins, and provision made for 
its reparation ; we shall witness the effects of infernal 
agency, the loss of primeval glory, the power of female 
influence, and, above all, the infinite goodness of our 
Creator. 

It very much enhances the dignity of the female cha¬ 
racter to reflect, that of all created things the woman was 
selected as the only suitable companion of the first and 
fairest of men; she was made expressly to contribute to 
bis mental and social pleasures, and not to be the slave of 

* Gen. iii. 20. 


10 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


his will; if the mother, she was intended also as the 
instructer of his children ; his assistant, at least, in the 
“ delightful task’* of “ rearing the tender thought,” 
and “ teaching the young idea how to shoot she was 
qualified to counsel and co-operate with him in his daily 
occupations, to aid in the investigation of those laws 
which regulated the new-made world, to unite with him 
in acts of worship, and to enliven, as well as to partici¬ 
pate, his devotional hours. 

Revelation is the only system that assigns to woman 
her natural and proper elevation in the scale of being, 
and inspires a consciousness of her real dignity. The 
moment that an intelligent being is by any injurious 
treatment, or by any prevailing error, induced to form 
a degrading estimate of itself, that moment it begins 
to approximate a state of meanness which was hitherto 
only imaginary. Let such an one be conscious of being 
held in no esteem, or prized solely as the tool of servi¬ 
tude or the food of appetite, and all majesty of character 
is lost; all aim or wish to rise above the brute, to aspire 
after a station or character, to the occupation of which a 
tyrannic impiety has opposed an insurmountable barrier, 
is gone ; and those great principles which confer a supe¬ 
riority upon the human kind, and point to a noble pre¬ 
eminence, cease to operate, and expire for want of action. 
This state of things is unnatural, contrary to the ori¬ 
ginal purpose of creation, and, in fact, more disho¬ 
nourable t6 the usurper than to the degraded sufferer. 
In Mahometan and Pagan countries the rights of women 
have been sacrificed to the caprices of men ; and, havino* 
plucked this fair flower of creation from its original and 
highly elevated situation, its beauty has faded, its glory 
been lost in the sacrilegious hands of its barbarian pos¬ 
sessor. Abject slavery or base flattery have existed 
where woman has been displaced from her proper 
and original character, and the most mischievous conse¬ 
quences have ensued.^ 

^ This subject is more fully illustrated in the Essay preBxed to the. se¬ 
cond volume of this work. 


EVE. 


11 


The first woman is said to have been formed out of 
man ; hence, as dipart of himself^ it seems the law of crea¬ 
tion, that man should cherish the most affectionate senti¬ 
ments for the woman ; “ Therefore,” says the inspired 
history, “ shall a man leave his father and his mother, 
and shall cleave unto his wife ; and they shall be one 
flesh.”* 

It is observable, that the woman was neither taken 
out of the head^ nor from the/ce^, but from the side^ and 
near the heart ! If, therefore, on the one hand, she 
ought not to assume pre-eminence, on the other, she is 
not to be trampled on and despised, but received as an 
equal and a friend. 

As the original arrangements of Infinite Wisdom were 
the most perfect in their respective kinds, the appro¬ 
priation of one woman only, as the companion and wife of 
the first created man, indicates both the will of the Crea¬ 
tor respecting marriage, and the circumstances in which 
it is most likely to produce the greatest sum of domestic 
felicity. Man is neither to live alone, nor to indulge that 
depravity of taste, which, by seeking enjoyment in 
diversity, not only ensures disappointment, but gene^ 
rates discord. 

The advocates for celibacy and for plurality equally 
betray an ignorance of Scripture and of human nature, 
and can find few supporters, except amongst the infidel 
or the barbarian classes of mankind. “ They that will 
not connect their interests, lest they should be unhappy 
by their partner’s fault, dream away their time without 
friendship, without fondness, and are driven to rid them¬ 
selves of the day, for which they have no use, by childish 
amusement or vicious delights. They act as beings un¬ 
der the constant sense of some known inferiority, that 
fills their minds with rancour and their tongues with cen¬ 
sure ; they are peevish at home, and malevolent abroad; 
and, as the outlaws of human nature, make it their busi¬ 
ness and their pleasure to disturb that society which de- 

* Gen. ii, 34. 



12 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


bars them from its privileges. To live without feeling 
or exciting sympathy, to be fortunate without adding to 
the felicity of others, or afflicted without tasting the 
balm of pity, is a state more gloomy than solitude : it is 
not retreat, but exclusion from mankind. Marriage has 
many pains, but celibacy has no pleasures.”* 

The original law is enforced in the New Testament 
by an infallible commentator : “ Have ye not read, that 
he which made them at the beginning made them male 
and female, and said. For this cause shall a man leave 
father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife ; and they 
twain shall be one flesh ? Wherefore they are no more 
twain, but one flesh. What, therefore, God hath joined 
together, let no man put asunder.”! Thus Jesus Christ 
sanctions marriage by his authority, virtually interdicts 
polygamy, and absolutely prohibits divorce. 

As the bestowal of one woman upon one man, at the 
creation of the human species, was sufficiently indicative 
of the divine will, so the near equality of the two sexes 
is a strong presumptive argument in favour of this divi¬ 
sion of society: if a dififerent proportion were better 
calculated to replenish the world with population, the 
circumstances of Adam seemed particularly to require 
such an arrangement; or if it were calculated to promote 
human happiness, the Divine Being, who created Eve 
for the very purpose of enhancing the bliss of our first 
parent, would have superadded this to his paradisaical 
possessions. The reverse, however, was obviously the 
case. Polygamy violates the constitution of nature, and 
produces contests, jealousies, distracted affections, a vo¬ 
luptuousness which dissolves the vigour of the intellectual 
and corporeal faculties, neglect of children, with other 
lamentable evils, for which it furnishes no compensation. 
“Whether,” says Dr. Paley, “simultaneous polygamy 
was permitted by the law of Moses, seems doubtful ;J 
but, whether permitted or not, it was certainlj^ practised 
by the Jewish patriarchs, both before that law and under 

* Dr. Johnson. f Mat. xix. 4—6. X See Deut. xvii. 17. xxi. 15. 


EVE. 


13 


it. The permission, if there were any, might be like 
that of divorce, ‘ for the hardness of their heart,’ in con¬ 
descension to thei.r established indulgences, rather- than 
from the general rectitude or propriety of the thing itself. 
The state of manners in Judea had probably undergone 
a reformation in this respect before the time of Christ, 
for in the New Testament we meet with no trace or 
mention of any such practice being tolerated.”'^ 

Though man was created in the state we have been 
representing, encircled with the divine favour, rich in 
all the requisites of happiness, and the tenant of a glori¬ 
ous palace, a melancholy alteration soon occurred. Se¬ 
duced by infernal temptation, he forsook his God and 
forfeited his paradise; and from the narrative of his fall 
in the book of Genesis, which immediately succeeds the 
account of his felicity, we learn that the woman was the 
first transgressor. Assuming the form of a serpent, Satan 
presented himself to Eve, and entered into familiar con¬ 
versation with her. To his artful inquiry respecting the 
divine interdiction of one of the trees of the garden, she 
at first gave a very proper answ’er. Satan insinuated 
that the terms which God had prescribed, were severe, 
if not capricious ; but she replied in a manner indicative 
of her perfect acquiescence in the commandment, her 
untainted purity of mind, and such a sense of the bene¬ 
ficence of God, as prevented even a momentary doubt of 
his wisdom or goodness, in the denial of “ one tree in the 
midst of the garden.” 

The tempter, in making a second attack, became more 
positive. In contradiction to the divine assurance, he 
affirmed, with unhesitating .effrontery, that they should 
not die even though they tasted the fruit of the inter¬ 
dicted tree, but on the contrary, that they should be “ as 
gods, knowing good and evil.”! By the very same re¬ 
presentations do the ministers of Satanic malice in every 
age seduce mankind, suggesting that the commands of 

* Paley’s Moral Philosophy, vol. 1. p. 316, 8vo. f Gen. iii. 5. 

VoL. I. c 



14 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


Heaven are extremely rigid, and flattering them that sin 
may be committed with impunity. 

The fatal moment was come—she looked at the tree !— 
Ah ! thou mother of all living! hadst thou looked at the 
command^ and turned away from the attractive plant and 
the beguiling serpent, all would have been well ; thine 
innocence had been uncorrupted, thy posterity uncon¬ 
demned ! But unhallowed curiosity prompted the fatal 
experiment—she wished to be wise— 

-“ Her rash hand in evil hour. 

Forth reaching to the fruit, she plucked, she ate. 

Earth felt the wound; and Nature from her seat, 

Sighing- tlirough all her works, gave signs of wo. 

That ail was lost!” Milton. 

It does not appear that any ill consequences resulted 
immediately from the criminal rashness of this sinner, so 
that she was encouraged to go to her husband, who, se¬ 
duced by a fairer tempter, and one endeared to him by 
the tenderest ties, complied with her request to share 
the violated tree. Motives of curiosity and pride excited 
her to sin, and so far as appears from the history, blind 
affection influenced him. Alas! she who was given him 
as a “ help meet,'*' is changed into his seducer, and from 
his comfort is become his snare! That influence which 
she naturally possessed over her husband, ought to have 
been exerted to prevent his compliance with any sinful 
intimation, in case of an unexpected solicitation, instead 
of which it was used to induce him to plunge into guilt 
and ruin. “We have a right to presume,” observes Saurin, 
“ that as no crime was ever connected with more melan¬ 
choly results, so none was ever more atrocious than 
hers. The more we examine its nature, the more base 
it appears, and the more easy is it to exculpate religion 
from those reproaches which this statement has so often 
occasioned. Whatever tends to extenuate the guilt of 
other sins, is an aggravation of this. 

“ Sometimes a confusion of the passions obscures all the 
powers of the soul; a man who sins in this manner, is 
frequently less deserving of abhorrence than of pity; 



EVE. 


15 


he acts from a sort of compulsion, and protests against 
the crime, even at the moment he is committing it. Eve 
possessed a dominion over those passions to which we 
are become enslaved ; she could easily calm their tur¬ 
bulence, and they had no other influence over her, than 
what was on her own part voluntary. 

“ Sometimes necessity inspires the design of acquiring by 
unlawful methods, a supply which nature has rendered 
requisite, and which cannot be legitimately obtained. 
But, what could be wanting to satisfy the insatiable 
cravings of this woman ? What could she need as an 
addition to her happiness ? She might be said to be 
‘ crowned with glory and honourshe had dominion 
over the works of the Creator ; all things were put 
under her feet; all sheep and oxen ; yea, and the beasts 
of the field, the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, 
and whatsoever passeth through the piaths of the seas.’'^ 
Even her love of variety could not yet be satiated, and- 
this garden offered a thousand exquisite fruits which she 
had never tasted. 

“ Sometimes douht blends itself with disobedience 
There are but few sins totally unaccompanied with un¬ 
belief ; some clouds always obscure our faith, some veils 
of concealment always overspread the existence of the 
Creator. Among the previous pangs which sin occa¬ 
sions, when we deliberate respecting the commission of 
it, there always exist certain vague ideas in the mind, 
such as these—perhaps no superior being concerns him¬ 
self about it; or, perhaps no one has forbidden it;— 
but Eve could not possibly doubt of the existence or the 
will of the Creator. She had herself heard this lan¬ 
guage from his mouth, ‘ In the day that thou eatest 
thereof thou shalt surely die.’t 

“ Sometimes our abuse of a favour proceeds from 
false ideas of its origin. Though erery sinner be un¬ 
grateful, yet every sinner is not a monster of ingratitude. 


* Ps. viii. 5—8. 


t Gen. ii, 17. 


IQ 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


The first cause of our felicity is sometimes mingled with 
the second, which is serviceable in procuring it. Our 
industry frequently seems to share with Providence the 
glory of our condition, and the nature of a blessing 
sometimes leads us to forget the acknowledgments due 
to our benefactor ; but Eve enjoyed no good which did 
not in some respect proceed immediately from the 
bounty of God, and which ought not to have induced 
her to glorify him. 

“ Sometimes a pure motive produces an impure action^ 
and the love of virtue itself sometimes occasions our re¬ 
moval from it: but in the present case the action is ag¬ 
gravated by the motive. Pride, vain-glory, perhaps the 
desire of robbing God of his pre-eminence, his omnisci¬ 
ence, or his jurisdiction over the creature, his most sa¬ 
cred and incommunicable distinctions, were the disposi¬ 
tions that actuated this woman. 

“ Can any imaginable pretext serve to palliate so 
atrocious a crime, or excuse the woman who first com¬ 
mitted it, and the man who joined in the rebellion ?' 
Would they indeed have been less criminal, if a seraph 
of glory had proposed to them the impious deed ? Was 
not the faculty of reason which they had received from 
God, sufficient to make them understand what revelation 
has taught us, that if an angel from heaven were to pro¬ 
claim any thing contrary to what God has commanded, 
it ought to inspire us with no other sentiments than those 
of anathema and execration ?”* 

The general consequences of human transgression 
were :— 

(1.) The loss of Eden^ and the subjection of our first 
parents to a mode of life both humiliating and painful. 
Ease was exchanged for toil, honour for degradation, 
peace for distraction and wo. 

It is always painful to quit a favourite spot. The heart 

* Gal. 1. 8. Saurin, Discours historiques, critiques, theologiques, et 
moraux, sur les Evenemens le plus memorables du Vieux et du Nouveau 
Testament. Tom. I. p. 41—43, 8vo. 


EVE. 


17 


lingers long behind, and employs the pencil of memory 
to paint the absent scene. Adam and Eve must have ex¬ 
perienced inexpressible emotions when driven from their 
primeval residence, where all the elements, all the sea¬ 
sons, and all beings had contributed to their enjoyment. 
Never, never, could they forget those landscapes on 
which the eye paused with rapture ; never, never, could 
they cease to remember its rich productions, its often- 
frequented vales, and hills, and rivers, and woods; never, 
never, could they obliterate from their memory the bright 
sunshine of heavenly love that beamed upon them there ! 
—for by transgression they suffered. 

(2.) The. loss of their God. The divine favour can 
alone constitute the real felicity of a creature; this, in 
its full manifestation, is Heaven^ in its total absence, is 
Hell. No place, however loaded with blessings, can 
constitute a desirable abode, unless God be there. The 
fairest Eden without this manifestation must be a melan¬ 
choly dungeon to an intelligent and immortal being. It 
is this which was forfeited by original sin, and which oc¬ 
casioned “ a flaming sword which turned every way, to 
keep the way of the tree of life.’”^ 

It would be inconsistent with the nature of God not to 
manifest displeasure against iniquity, however high and 
dignified the being who commits it. An angel must lose 
his crown, if he dare to disobey that Being who is ‘^glo¬ 
rious in holiness. 

(3.) Mankind, incurred by sin the loss of life. “ And 
the Lord God commanded the man, saying. Of every 
tree in the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree 
of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of' 
it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt 
surely die.”J This denunciation included an exposure 
not only to temporal, but to eternal death, as might be 
shown from the nature- and demerit of sin, the means 
which were afterward employed to destroy its effects isv 

^ Gen. ill. 24.' f Exod. xv. 11.. t Gen. ii. 1$, 17. 

0 2 : 


1.8 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


the work of Christ, the repeated declarations of Scrip¬ 
ture, and the peculiar energy of the original expression : 
it is literally, “ Dying thou shalt die.” The weight of 
the condemnation rested on the sinner’s head, and in 
order to maintain the glory of his character, “ the bless¬ 
ed God”-*" rendered his punishment as extraordinary as 
his former mercies, and proportionate to his enormous 
guilt. “ Thou wilt by no means clear the guilty.”! 
“ These shall go away into everlasting punishment.”! 

(4.) The sin of Adam and Eve involved the ruin of 
their posterity. As the first man and woman, they stood 
in a peculiar relation to all who should hereafter be born, 
the representatives of unnumbered millions, whose future 
condition essentially depended on their character and cir¬ 
cumstances. Had they continued innocent, it cannot be 
doubted their children would have been placed in a far 
happier condition. They would have inherited purity 
and a blessing for the Father’s sake, instead of being 
“ shapen in iniquity.”§ As the streams become polluted 
ivhen the fountain is poisoned, or as the branches die 
when the root is destroyed, so the race of men are be¬ 
come degraded, accursed, and condemned by their pa¬ 
rent’s sin. They inherit a nature depraved by original 
transgression, and disposed to every wicked indulgence. 
Instead of becoming more assimilated to God, as man had 
flattered himself he should be by partaking of the for¬ 
bidden fruit, he became from that moment assimilated to 
the devil. Every dishonourable and hurtful passion took 
immediate possession of the breast, and to this hour reigns 
in the carnal man with unrivalled influence. Whatever 
misery results from the gratification of these passions, is 
solely attributable to the principle ; fpr man, who is cri¬ 
minal by nature, is still more so by inclination and prac¬ 
tice. The world is thrown into a state of anarchy. 
The unbridled dominion of the passions disturbs the 
peace of the individual and, the harmony of society. Sin 


* 1 Tim. i. 11. f Exod. xxxiv. 7. | Mat. xxv. 4fr. J P&. h. 71 


EVE. 


makes a man at variance with himself, with his neighbour) 
and w’ith the whole constitution of things. He is restless 
as the ocean, impelled by every contrary wind, and tossed 
about by every sportive billow. The desire of happi¬ 
ness exists, but he is ignorant of the true means of it, 
and is perpetually pursuing it by a method which only 
plunges him into greater misery. To this cause must be 
attributed all the mental distresses and all the bodily 
afflictions of the individual—all the disturbances which 
prevent domestic enjoyment, the bickerings and jealou¬ 
sies of families with their various alliances—all the ani¬ 
mosities which agitate social life—all the intestine broils, 
ambitious emulations, endless contentions, and opposing 
interests that distract a state—all the melancholy wars 
that convulse nations and desolate empires, the record of 
which has stained the page of history in all ages—with 
every particular, form, and mode of evil, discoverable in 
the w'orld. 

But sin extends its ravages beyond the present state. 
It has not only strewed the whole path of life with tor¬ 
menting thorns, but enkindled “ everlasting burnings.”- 
It has not only introduced disorder into the world, disease 
into the body, and distress into the condition of men, but 
exposed them to the agonies of death and of hell. It is 
sin which banishes every hope and excludes every ray of 
comfort from the realms of infernal despair. Justly, then, 
is it characterized by the apostle, as “ exceeding sinfidd^^ 

There were two respects in which the woman became 
more deeply affected by the curse than the man; she not 
only participated, as a fallen creature, in the diversified 
calamities which from the moment of transgression were 
entailed upon humanity, but suffered as a female in the 
conjugal and maternal relationships which she was des¬ 
tined hereafter to sustain. Her husband was to “ rule 
over her,” and in sorrow “ she was to bring forth chil¬ 
dren.”! The yoke of subjection indeed in the one case, 
and the pangs of childbirth in the other, are alleviated by 

* Rom. vii. 13. f Gen. iii. 16. 


20 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

the benign influences of Christianity, whose supplies are 
intended to heal the wounds inflicted by the poisonous 
serpent; but they nevertheless attach, in greater or less 
degrees, to the human constitution. 

The reason of this marked difierence in the dispensa¬ 
tion of an avenging Providence to the two principal par¬ 
ties concerned, was obviously this ; the woman was first 
in the transgression, and after listening to the deceptive 
counsel of her adversary, tempted when she ought to 
have warned her husband. It appears consonant to every 
principle of equity, that the atrociousness of her guilt 
should be characterized by appropriate expressions of 
displeasure ; and that, in the future condition of mankind, 
all beings should recognize, not only the general purity 
of the divine administration, but its reference to the pe¬ 
culiarities of individual delinquency. Whatever mystery 
may at present involve the proceedings of Infinite Wis¬ 
dom, and however incapacitated we may be to discover 
in every given case or even in the majority of instances, 
the distinct traces of a justice that holds the even balance, 
and adjusts with nicety the proportions of sin and punish¬ 
ment, of this we may feel perfectly assured, that “ every 
one” will eventually “ receive the things done in his 
body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good- 
or bad.”* 

It should be a matter of serious consideration to women- 
to employ the influence which they possess, as the gift of 
nature, to wise, holy, and useful purposes. Let the 
young female especially see to it, that her attractions are 
not dedicated to the service of sin, but to that of virtue 
and of Christ. Let her neither be tempted nor tempt 
others, but close her ear against the voice of enticement, 
and make a covenant with her tongue, that it neither 
utter folly nor propagate slander. Let the daughters of 
Eve imitate their mother in her state of unfallen rectitude, 
when she shone in all the purity of innocence, and in all 
the summer of her charms ; but let them avoid that course; 


2^Cor. V. l(h. 


EVE. 


2:1 


which tarnished her glory, debased her nature, and wi¬ 
thered her paradise. It is indisputable that society is 
materially affected by the character of women ; and 
in very important respects the moral state, as well as the 
social comfort of the world, is at their disposal. Let them 
beware of the delusions to which they are exposed, and 
make virtuous use of the influence which is undoubtedly 
given them. Let them aim to be guides to piety, not se¬ 
ducers to sin ; and, instead of presenting to others the 
forbidden fi;uit, refuse to taste, or even to look at it: 
so shall they regain the dignity they have lost, be ad¬ 
mitted to partake of the untainted spring of happiness, and 
enjoy at once a peaceful conscience and an approving 
God. 

The narrative which has been here briefly introduced^ 
stands in immediate connexion with a subject which 
abounds in considerable difficulties, and has produced, 
unhappily, many acrimonious controversies. These it 
would be improper to detail ; but as our design is chiefly 
practical, if some of those objections which occur to 
almost every mind, can, by a few words, be in any degree 
obviated, it will be worthy at least of a short digression. 

1. It has been allpgod that the first man might have 
been created immutable by a necessity of nature, the 
consequence of which would have been his own per¬ 
fect and unchanging happiness, and that of all mankind. 
The imagination seizes the transporting thought, and in 
a moment converts every spot of this barren wilderness 
into “ the garden of Eden.” Does it, however, become us 
to prescribe rules to Omniscience ? Was the Deity obliged 
to impose a miraculous constraint upon the humap 
will, and compel his creature to choose whatever is 
best with invariable determination and promptitude ? 
If a parent were to caution his child against a danger, 
into which he afterward plunged himself by his inad¬ 
vertence or perverseness, would the child be justified 
in censuring the parent, because, in addition to advice, 
he did not employ bonds and cords ? Adam might 
have been created immutable by a necessity of nature. 


22 ' FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHVr 

True—but Adam would then have been another bein^ 
and not a man. It might with similar propriety be asked, 
why men were not created equal to angels, or beasts to 

men ?-This sentiment implies, that it was not proper 

to create such a being as man at all, an intimation suffi¬ 
ciently presumptuous. Adam possessed all the perfec¬ 
tions essential to his nature and conducive to his felicity, 
and all the motives to obedience which a reasonable crea¬ 
ture could demand. If he fell, it was violating and not 
concurring with the principles of his nature. And who 
was culpable for this violation ? It is true he was tempted, 
—but then he was forewarned. He was tempted —so was 
the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, who effectually 
resisted the temptation. 

2. Some have supposed that the punishment was dis- 
proportioned to the offence. A more attentive considera¬ 
tion of the subject, however, will demonstrate the con¬ 
trary. The compliance with the seductions of the tempter, 
of which our first parents were guilty, betrayed many 
lamentable symptoms of degeneracy. Pride, ambition, 
discontent, unbehef, presumption, ingratitude, and an 
undervaluation of the divine favour, are all plainly dis¬ 
cernible through the thin veil or cm cutcnuating apology, 
with which they vainly attempted to conceal their base¬ 
ness.—“ The woman whom thou gavest to be with me 
she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” And the wo¬ 
man said, “ The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”* 
Endowed as they were with knowledge, it was a sin 
against the greatest light; surrounded as they were with 
motives, it was a sin against the greatest means; warned 
as they were of danger and promised eternal blessedness, 
it was a sin against the greatest reason; and placed as 
they were at the head of a numerous posterity, and in 
a sense the depositories and trustees of their happiness, 
it was a sin against the greatest public good. 

Besides, it was the first sin, and consequently justice 
demanded such an expression of the divine displeasure 
as would tend to deter future transgressors, ^d evince 

» Gen. iii. 12,13. 



EVE. 


^3 


the purity of God to all holy intelligences. When jus¬ 
tice seized upon the delinquents, and brought them to 
the equitable tribunal of heaven, the whole intelligent 
universe may be considered as attentive spectators of 
the scene. Every eye was fixed—every ear open— 
every tongue silent—every harp suspended. The great 
Judge with whom “ a thousand years are as one day, and 
one day as a thousand years,saw, as it were, the un¬ 
born generations of men all present,® and tremblingly 
awaiting the verdict. This was the solemn hour when 
the perfections of Deity were to be most sublimely 
illustrated, and ten thousand worlds were to learn in 
one eventful moment the character of their Creator. 
“ Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the gar¬ 
den of Eden.”t 

The nature of sin in itself should also be considered. 
It is no trifling affair. From the habit of observing only 
its outward effects, we overlook its rancorous principle. 
The propensity to extenuate sin arises from ignorance of 
its vileness. We judge of every thing by comparison, 
and self-flattery always renders the comparison favour¬ 
able to ourselves. But small and are terms which, 
though we have chosen to adopt them, do not properly 
belong to the subject. The divine mind contemplates 
sin in its principle; and the least transgression, being 
a resistance of his command, an insult to his authority, 
an opposition to his truth, a violation of general order, 
a perversion and misuse of the noblest faculties, what¬ 
ever may be the force of the attack or the nature of the 
temptation, is infinitely offensive to the blessed God* 
It is an admission of that principle which, could it pos¬ 
sibly prevail, would produce eternal discord, universal 
rebellion, and boundless misery. 

3. If, however, we be accounted sinners in Adam, may 
it not be inferred that our guilt is incalculably inferior 
to his, and that in all our actions resulting from this in¬ 
herent depravity, we are more ‘pitiable than culpable? 

* 2 Pet. iii. 8. t Gen. iii. 3. 


24 


female scripture biography. 


By no means. It is sufficient to remark, that though our 
original guilt be less than his, not having been personally 
the perpetrators of the first crime, our actual guilt is 
equal, if not greater. For it is obvious we sin with all 
the experience of the past to forewarn us: we sin, 0 
though we witness the deplorable effects of his fall, and 
hear the denunciations of vengeance in the Scriptures. 

Though it be true that sin originates in a depravity of 
heart, which is th^ fatal inheritance of the whole human 
race, will any one pretend that such a sentiment justifies 
its excesses ? The perpetration of iniquity in the course 
of our daily practice, must not be confounded with the 
original tendency. These excesses are in no sense charge¬ 
able upon the principle as its necessary and unavoidable 
result, because thousands escape “ the pollutions that are 
in the world.”^ Nor are we less obliged to love God in 
consequence of the fall, though unhappily we are become 
more incapable and indisposed to it. You ask, why pas¬ 
sions were implanted in human nature ? The reply is, to 
extend the means of our happiness, by rendering us more 
capable of glorifying and eryoying God. If they have 
acquired a sinful bias, the obligation to devote them to 
their original purpose is by no means diminished: but 
their great Author, to whom we are responsible for every 
faculty, requires that we should oppose their preverse 
propensities, earnestly repent of the irregularities pro¬ 
duced by their seducing influence, and solicit the aid of 
his grace to conquer them. 

When the apostle of the Gentiles was reasoning before 
an unjust judge of righteousness, temperance, and 
judgment to come,” it is said, “ Felix trembled, and 
answered. Go thy way for this time, when I have a con¬ 
venient season I will call for thee.”t Unhappy man! 
Hadst thou but obeyed Paul instead of dismissing him, 
hadst thou but yielded to thy kindling convictions, con¬ 
fessed thy sins, and'sought salvation through the blood of 
that Jesus whom Paul preached, the Church of Christ 

* 2 Pet. ii. 20. f Acts xxiv. 2Sr. 



EVK. 


25 


would have hailed thee as “ a brand plucked out of the 
burning.”* 

Every one is conscious that, however corrupt his na¬ 
ture, he is under no irresistible impulse, no constraining 
necessity. If he commit sin, it is voluntarily. Sin is his 
cJioice and his pleasure. He does not sin because he is 
necessitated to do it, but because he loves it: and how¬ 
ever willing the carnal mind may be to avail itself of 
sophistical reasonings to quiet conscience, every one must, 
in the hour of dispassionate reflection, feel himself impli¬ 
cated in the charge, “ all have sinned.” 

Listen to the case of a wretched prodigal. Crime had 
reduced him to rags. He had a home —but through per¬ 
verseness he banished himself from all its comforts. He 
had a father —but he undervalued his affection, in a mo¬ 
ment of folly demanded his patrimony, and adventured 
abroad friendless and alone. A few years brought him 
to the very gates of death.—O thoughtless sinner, “ Thou 
art the man !”t Thou hast forsaken God, the Father of 
Mercies I Thou art “ perishing in ignorance and unbe¬ 
lief!”—But this moral lunatic came to himself,”| and re¬ 
solved to return to his father; “I will arise and go to 
my father, and will say unto him. Father, I have sinned 
against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy 
to be called thy son ; make me as one of thy hired servants. 
And he arose and came to his father. But when he was 
yet a great w’ay off, his father saw him, and had compas¬ 
sion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”§ 
What a son ! what a father! what a meeting! what sighs 
of penitence! what tears of fondness! what looks of ten¬ 
derness 1 what words of peace! How w ere resentment 
and grief drowned in a sea of love ! 

God of “ all comfort,”II who art thyself this kind, for¬ 
giving, bountiful Father! Grant of thine infinite mercy that 
every reader may prove himself this humble, sincere, 
and grateful penitent! 

* Zech. iii. 2. f 2 Sam. xii. 7. t Luke xv. 17. 

§ Luke XV. 13,19, 20. 1| 2 Cor. i. 3. 

VoL. I. D 


SARAH. 


CHAPTER 11. 

Abraham’s departure from Chaldea—his faith—its failure—Sarah and 
Abraham agree to prevaricate—the admiration which Sarah attractec^— 
Abraham’s dismissal from the country of Egypt—beauty and dress—im¬ 
portance of a proper education—parental vanity—source of real attrac¬ 
tion—Sarah proposes to Abraham to take Hagar—unhappy consequences 
—Hagar’s flight and return—visit of three angels—Sarah’s laughter at 
the subject of their commission—her subsequent character—general re¬ 
marks—birth of Isaac—Ishmael’s conduct and its consequences—Sarah’s 
death. 

Years before -A-T a very advanced period of life, and in 

Christ, about obedience to a divine injunction, Abraham 

J920_1921. . '' . 

went out from his country and his father’s 

house, “ not knowing whither he went.”* By this 
cheerful, prompt, and pious submission to the mysterious 
will of Heaven, he has acquired a high distinction in the 
sacred records, and presents a noble example for the 
imitation of all future ages. Here was no debate be¬ 
tween a sense of duty and an inclination to sin—no dis¬ 
position to question the wisdom or the goodness of the 
command—no effort to devise expedients for the purpose 
of procuring delay—and no unholy apprehensions re¬ 
specting the possible or probable consequences of such a 
proceeding. 

In this removal from Chaldea, the illustrious exile 
took with him his wife, his nephew, “ and all their sub¬ 
stance that they had gathered, and the souls that they 
had gotten in Haran.”t Upon their arrival in Canaan, 
the divine declaration respecting his future possession 
of the country was renewed, and he erected an altar 
o the Lord in the plain of Moreh. The same act of 
devotion was performed at the next stage of his journey, 
on a mountain to the east of Bethel ; for no change 
of-place could obliterate his sense of religious obligation. 

* Heb. xi. 8. .f Gen. xii. 5. 


SARAH. 


27 


This land of promise was soon afflicted with a grievous 
famine, in consequence of which, he was necessitated to 
provide for the subsistence of his family by removing 
into Egypt. This was a new trial to his faith, for by 
what possible means could a land at present so im¬ 
poverished, become a place of plentiful subsistence to 
his posterity, when multiplied as the sands upon the 
sea-shore? Driven even from this promised inheritance, 
he did not however manifest a spirit of discontent or 
unbelief, but hastened to seek a temporary asylum, con¬ 
vinced that he to whose guidance he had committed him¬ 
self and his beloved family, could, by the outstretched 
arm of his power, not only overcome every obstacle 
which to human ignorance might seem insurmountable, 
but by his concurrent wisdom render difficulties them¬ 
selves subservient to the accomplishment of his purposes. 

Alas! on his entering Egypt he is seized with appre¬ 
hension. The faith which had hitherto been so con¬ 
spicuous is mingled with distrust, and he engages his 
beloved Sarah, who is now introduced to our notice, 
in an act of most unwarrantable duplicity. The whole 
of this transaction is detailed with that perfect impar¬ 
tiality which characterizes the histories of the Scriptures, 
and which furnishes one very decisive evidence of their 
inspiration. 

Sarah is represented as very beautiful. Her husband 
was aware that this circumstance would attract the no¬ 
tice of the Egyptians, not only because of the contrast 
her person would exhibit to the swarthy complexions 
of their women, but on account of their licentious cha¬ 
racter. He dreaded their illicit attachment, and the 
probable consequence that they might assassinate him 
in order to obtain his wife. This idea of Egyptian 
morals was no doubt correct, but how deplorable I They 
would not commit adultery ; but for the sake of grati¬ 
fying a guilty passion, were ready to perpetrate the 
abominable sin of murder! and thus, under the strange 
pretence of reverence for the matrinionial law, they 


28 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRATflY. 

would have violated at once the dictates of humanit}^^, 
the principles of reason, and the constitutions of heaven. 
So common is it for transgressors tn “ strain at a gnat 
and swallow a camel and so uniform the course 
of guilt, which never walks alone, but draws with it 
a train of complicated iniquities ! 

The preliminaries being settled, Abraham and his 
family entered Egypt. She was to say, when any in¬ 
quiries were made, that she was his sister, hoping by 
this artifice to escape danger. This, it must be ob¬ 
served, was not a direct falsehood : it was such only 
by implication. It was true, that, according to the 
Jewish mode of reckoning, Sarah was the sister of 
Abraham ; but their intention in circulating this state¬ 
ment, was to conceal the whole truth of her being his 
wife. Notwithstanding the ingenuity which some learned 
men have displayed in attempting to vindicate this con¬ 
duct, we must without hesitation pronounce it base, 
mean, and prevaricating. The purpose was to deceive, 
and it was the more censurable for being so deliberately 
premeditated and so perseveringly practised. There are 
cases in which persons have been overtaken in a fault, 
impelled by some momentary passion, excited by some 
brilliant temptation, or betrayed by some unexpected 
coincidence of circumstances, and of which they have 
deeply and almost immediately repented—a situation 
which cannot but excite our pity, as well as our dis¬ 
approbation, ; but this was a transaction which it is im¬ 
possible either to extenuate or to justify. Let it be 
improved as a motive for self-examination, and a beacon 
to warn us from similar misconduct. “ O keep my soul, 
and deliver me: let me not be,ashamed, for I put my 
trust in thee. Let integrity and uprightness preserve 
me, for I wait on thee.”t 

Prevarication of every kind partakes of the very es¬ 
sence of lying, being not only subversive of social 


* Matt, xxiii. 24, 


f Ps. xxy. 20,21. 


SARAH. 


29 


happiness, by preventing all confidential intercourse 
amongst mankind, but diametrically opposed to the com¬ 
mands of God. Every species of wilful deceit, as the 
use of ambiguities in language for the purpose of mis¬ 
leading ; the adoption of expressions which we know 
to be understood by another in a different sense from 
what we really mean; mental reservations; a studied 
suppression of part of the truth, as in the present ex¬ 
ample, is unworthy the character of any person who 
professes to be an honest man, much more of one who 
sustains the dignified character of a Christian. “Where¬ 
fore, putting away lying, speak every man truth with 
his neighbour.”* 

In theory, it seems an easy thing to adhere to truth, 
but it is too frequently found ^fficult in practice. When 
motives of interest are balanced against motives of duty, 
it is well if the former do not sometimes preponderate.- 
Are we always careful to state facts exactly as they 
exist; to avoid all false colouring; to swear even to 
our own hurt? If so, we need not fear investigation, 
because nothing can be detected but an honourable, 
undissembling mind^ 

When Adam disobeyed the divine commandment, and 
in consequence forfeited the bliss of primeval paradise, 
he was seduced by his fair partner, who had already 
listened to the wily suggestions of the serpent; but 
Abraham, so, for from being tempted by his wife, ap¬ 
pears to have been the sole contriver of this disingenu¬ 
ous artifice, and employed all his influence to induce 
her to transgress. In following him from, his original 
residence into Canaan,, and subsequently to Egypt, she 
obeyed the dictates of afiection and of religion ; but when 
she suffered herself to be persuaded into a deceitful ac¬ 
tion, she sacrificed the purity of her conscience. It 
became her, however painful the conflict, to resist the 
temptation ^ and,, when, the claims of heaven were 


* Eph. iv. 25, 
D 2 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHV, 

posed to those of affection or of human authority, to obey 
God rather than man. It appears that we are not only 
in danger of being misled by those who are our avowed 
enemies, or by the pernicious example of the multitude 
who do evil, but the nearest and dearest relatives may 
become snares to our feet; and even those, in whose 
piety and wisdom we should naturally confide, may, 
under the influence of temporary delusion, incite us to 
do wrong. Our affections must not be implicitly trust¬ 
ed. There is a point where ■ submission to man be¬ 
comes treason against heaven. It were better to incur 
the displeasure even of the dearest friend and tenderest 
relative, than of Him who possesses supreme authority 
over conscience. 

At the same time, let a woman, who thus ventures 
to disobey her husband, do it with that caution which 
results solely from a conviction of paramount duty, and 
from a well-founded assurance that she is not mistaken. 
It is no trifling occasion that will justify opposition to 
the will of him whom she is commanded to obey ; and 
if it be done in a proper spirit, it will be done with a 
degree of reluctance, and under an overwhelming sense 
of necessity. Let the spirit of meekness be prevalent. 
Nothing in the mannery in which unwelcome opposition 
is maintained, must indicate a proud resistance, or an 
air of triumph. It must not be litigious, petulant, un¬ 
conciliating ; but the importance of those principles 
which occasion the difference, must be apparent in the 
temper of mind they produce. Thus, it will be pos¬ 
sible to maintain the rights of conscience, and not to 
violate the claims of duty : the integrity of the heart 
will be indicated, not by words only, but by actions. 
It is natural to feel indignant against a conduct which 
we suspect to proceed from improper motives, and a 
hostile spirit; but we extenuate even the mistakes of 
those who differ most widely from ourselves, provided 
we have sufficient evidence that their scruples result 
from conscientious feelings. While, therefore, in our 


SARAH. 


3t 

ciifieFences from others, we are careful not to be ac¬ 
tuated by mere frivolous pretences, we must be equally 
solicitous not to be deterred from showing a firm con¬ 
sistence of conduct, lest we should incur the charge 
of an affected singularity. 

The fact was such as Abraham had anticipated. Sarah 
was the object of universal admiration. She attracted 
the attention even of Pharaoh’s courtiers, who, with the 
view of pleasing their master, recommended her to the 
king. Supposing she had been the stranger’s sister, she 
was taken into his house. Alas ! what availed all this 
timid policy ! The very means which had been devised 
for the preservation of Sarah from Egyptian licentious¬ 
ness, nearly exposed her to all its dreaded consequences ; 
and Abraham was duped by his own craftiness. His wife 
was endangered, his artifice detected, and the household 
of Pharaoh visited with divine chastisements on her ac¬ 
count. And, in addition to the pain which both he and 
his beloved partner must have felt, from the conscious¬ 
ness of having acted wrong, they were dismissed from the 
country. “ And Pharaoh called Abraham, and said. What 
is this that thou hast done unto me ? Why didst thou not 
tell me that she was thy wife ? Why saidst thou. She is 
my sister ? So I might have taken her to me to wife : 
now, therefore, behold thy wife, take her and go thy 
way. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning 
him ; and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that 
he had.”* 

The beauty of Sarah was obviously the occasion of her 
committing, in concert with her husband, the sin of equi¬ 
vocation, and of the misfortunes which attended their 
Egyptian journey. If she had not been distinguished for 
a fair exterior, she would have escaped the admiration of 
these strangers, and the difficulties which she and Abra¬ 
ham afterward encountered. Solomon pronounces beauty 
to be vain ; and the history of the world will show, that, 


'* Gen. xii. 18—20. 


32 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


in innumerable instances, as well as that of Sapah, it lias 
betrayed its fair possessor into many snares. Experience, 
however, in this respect, does not seem to teach wisdom j 
for the wish to acquire the attraction which beauty con¬ 
fers, seems to be no less prevalent in the present age,, 
than it was at the earliest period of the world. How 
many horn's of the day, and how many days of the wasted 
year, do some females devote to the improvement of 
their persons! Impossible as it has ever been, and ever 
will be found, to make one hair black or white, to add 
one cubit to the stature, to bend one untractable feature 
into the admired curve to which common consent attri¬ 
butes grace and loveliness ; the impossible transformation 
is nevertheless attempted. The treasures of opulence 
are exhausted ; the more valuable possession, of health is 
often sacrificed at the shrine of vanity ; and, while the 
noble distinctions of cultivated intellect and solid piety 
are neglected, the ostentatious decoration of exterior 
polish is sought with useless and guilty avidity. 

The most effectual means of correcting this error, is^ 
in early life to commence the important business of moral 
discipline by a solid education. If a greater degree of 
attention be paid to showy, than to substantial acquire¬ 
ments ; if young ladies be systematically prepared to 
shine and attract, instead of being assiduously formed to 
be useful in the stations to which Providence has assigned 
them ; it may be, expected that they should become so¬ 
licitous of courting admiration, rather than of winning 
esteem. They will necessarily be unfitted for domestic 
management, and disqualified for the sober realities of 
life. If the matrimonial connexion be founded upon na. 
better pretensions, and no superior reasons for attach¬ 
ment, it is incapable of securing solid happiness. It is, in 
fact, at the mercy of every breeze. The wind of adve-r- 
sity may blow upon the fair flower, wither its exterior 
charms, and leave nothing but prickles and thorns. A. 
consciousness of insignificance on the one hand, and a 
perception of it on the other, will- produce djsappoinf-N. 


SARAH. 


33 - 


mcnt, and generate dissatisfaction; and it will be founds 
too late perhaps, that the mind^ instead of the^ace, ought 
to have been principally regarded. 

There is a species of parental vanity against which we 
would loudly appeal. Some persons are extremely 
anxious that their daughters should possess all the attrac¬ 
tions of beauty ; and, from their earliest infancy, a con¬ 
cern for appearances is instilled into them, as of the first 
importance. If young persons, so unhappily circum¬ 
stanced, should receive a wrong bias, we cannot feel sur¬ 
prised ; and it will require a long course of salutary dis¬ 
cipline, combined wdth the inculcation of religious prin¬ 
ciples, effectually to teach them that to see, and to be 
seen, are not the great purposes of human existence ; 
that they must live for nobler ends, and secure the appro¬ 
bation of the wise and good by other accomplishments 
than a taste for the arrangement of a ribbon, or the har-^ 
mony of a tune. Unless they should be unfortunate 
enough to meet with none bu^ flippant and vacant admi-^ 
rers, to whose flattering nothings they are induced to 
listen, they will find, that persons of real worth are not 
to be attracted by tinsel decorations, nor a butterfly ex¬ 
terior, but that 

“ Man has a relish more refined 

and will rather breathe the following sentiment, as the ap¬ 
propriate language of a noble enthusiasm, connected with 
rationality and religion ; 

“ Souls are for social bliss designed— 

Give me a blessing fit to match my mind; 

A kindred soul to double and to share my joys.” 

Watts. 

That which constitutes the source of attraction to well- 
regulated minds, does not depend upon the disposition of 
the features, nor the colour of the skin. It is possible to 
every kind of exterior form. “ This beauty,” it has 
been well observed, “ does not always consist in smiles, 
hut varies as expressions of meekness and kindness vary 
with their objects : it is extremely forcible in the silent 


34 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


complaint of patient sufferance, the tender solicitude of 
friendship, and the glow of filial obedience; and in tears, 
whether of joy, of pity, or of grief, it is almost irresis¬ 
tible. 

“ This is the charm which captivates without the aid 
of nature, and without which her utmost bounty is in¬ 
effectual. But it cannot be assumed as a mask to con¬ 
ceal insensibility or malevolence : it must be the effect of 
corresponding sentiments, or it will impress upon the 
countenance a new and more disgusting deformity, affec¬ 
tation. Looks, which do not correspond with the heart, 
cannot be assumed without labour, nor continued with¬ 
out pain: the motive to relinquish them must, therefore, 
soon preponderate, and the aspect and apparel of the 
visit will be laid by together; the smiles and the lan- 
guishments of art will vanish, and the fierceness of rage, 
or the gloom of discontent, will either obscure or destroy 
all the elegance of symmetry and complexion. 

“ The artificial aspect is, indeed, as wretched a substi¬ 
tute for the expression of sentiment, as the smear of 
paint for the blushes of health : it is not only equally 
transient, and equally liable to detection ; but, as paint 
leaves the countenance yet more withered and ghastly, 
the passions burst out with more violence after restraint, 
the features become more distorted, and excite more de¬ 
termined aversion. 

“ Beauty, therefore, depends principally upon the 
mind, and consequently may be influenced by education. 
It has been remarked, that .the predominent passion may 
generally be discovered in the countenance ; because the 
muscles by which it is expressed, being almost per¬ 
petually contracted, lose their tone, and never totally 
relax ; so that the expression remains when the passion 
is suspended : thus, an angry, a disdainful, a subtle, and 
a suspicious temper, is displayed in characters that are 
almost universally understood. It is equally true of the 
pleasing and the softer passions, that they leave their sig¬ 
natures upon the countenance when they cease to act 


SARAH. 


35 


The prevalence of these passions, therefore, produces a 
mechanical effect upon the aspect, and gives a turn and 
cast to the features, which make a more favourable and 
forcible impression upon the mind of others, than any 
charm produced by mere external causes. 

“ Neither does the beauty, w'hich depends upon temper 
and sentiment, equally endanger the possessor : it is, to 
use an eastern metaphor, ‘ like the lowers of a city, not 
only an ornament, but a defence if it excite desire, it 
at once controls and refines it; it represses with awe, it 
softens with delicacy, and it wins to imitation. The love 
of reason and of virtue is mingled with the love of beauty ; 
because this beauty is little more than the emanation of 
intellectual excellence, which is not an object of corpo¬ 
real appetite. As it excites a purer passion, it also more 
forcibly engages to fidelity: every man finds himself 
more powerfully restrained from giving pain to goodness 
than to beauty; and every look of a countenance in 
which they are blended, in which beauty is the expression 
of goodness, is a silent reproach to the first irregular 
wish ; and the purpose immediately appears to be disin¬ 
genuous and cruel, by which the tender hope of ineffa¬ 
ble affection would be disappointed, the placid confidence 
of unsuspecting simplicity abused, and the peace even of 
virtue endangered, by the most sordid infidelity, and the 
breach of the strongest obligations. 

“ But the hope of the hypocrite must perish. When 
the factitious beauty has laid by her smiles ; when the 
lustre of her eyes, and the bloom of her cheeks, have 
lost their influence with their novelty ; what remains, 
but a tyrant divested of power, who will never be seen 
without a mixture of indignation and disdain ? The only- 
desire which this object could gratify, will be transferred 
to another, not only without reluctance, but with triumph. 

“ Let it, therefore, be remembered, that none can be 
disciples of the graces, but in the school of virtue ; 
and that those who wish to be lovely, must learn early 
to be GOOD.” 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


In the next transaction, Sarah appears in a still more 
unfavourable light than in the former part of her history, 
in whatever degree the circumstances in which she was 
placed may seem to extenuate the giiilt of her conduct in 
Egypt, they can no longer be pleaded on her behalf. 
She is not now overawed by the authority of her husband, 
or seduced by an affection, which would, at all hazards, 
endeavour to save his valuable life ; but becomes the vo¬ 
luntary tempter to a violation of divine institutions, by which 
she not only manifests her unbelief, but sacrifices to un¬ 
worthy motives her domestic peace. 

Notwithstanding the divine assurance, that the pos¬ 
terity of Abraham should become a great nation, and pos¬ 
sess the land of Canaan, Sarah begins to think that there 
is no probability of her becoming a mother. Ten years 
had elapsed, and no child was born. Reflecting on her 
advanced period of life, and incapable of an implicit re¬ 
liance upon the power of God, she requested Abraham to 
take Hagar, her Egyptian handmaid, in order that she 
might obtain children by her. It is scarcely possible to 
imagine a proposal more calculated to subvert the comfort 
of her family, or more illustrative of an unbelieving 
spirit. She could not rely upon the slow but certain ope¬ 
rations of a superintending Providence to fulfil those 
promises which had been given ; although a humble faith 
would have cherished confidence in his word. He who 
has filled the volume of inspiration with “ exceeding 
great and precious promises,” will assuredly accomplish 
them, notwithstanding every apparent impediment. Om¬ 
nipotence marches forward with a steady, undeviating 
step, to its predestined purpose ; and that infinite wisdom 
which originally planned the future, can never be frus¬ 
trated or confused by any contingencies or vicissitudes ; 
for no possible event can occur which was not fully antici¬ 
pated at the moment when the promise was given. 

Sarah was not only under the influence of distrust, but of 
inordinate desire. She was impatient for one of those 
prime domestic comforts, which it was seen fit at present 


to deny lier ; and because the time which had elapsed^ 
exceeded her calculations of probability, she took upon 
herself to devise a plan to hasten the accomplishment of 
her wishes. Let us beware of an undue eagerness after 
the possession of any temporal enjoyment. It will not 
only produce distrust, but, probably, precipitate us into 
irregular means of gratifying our wishes. “ Inordinate 
desires commonly produce irregular endeavours. If 
our wishes be not kept in submission to God’s provi¬ 
dence, our pursuits will scarcely be kept under the re¬ 
straints of his precepts.” 

It is truly surprising, that the father of the faithful 
should listen to this insinuating request. Possibly he 
thought that, as Sarah was not distinctly mentioned in 
the promise, Hagar might become the parent of the 
promised seed ; and by this specious pretence, being 
anxious for a son, he was induced to comply. We 
are easily persuaded, when our own inclinations al¬ 
ready concur with a proposal ; and even good men are 
very liable to misinterpret the intimations of Providence, 
whenever they consult their own feelings rather than the 
word of God. 

It is remarked, that “ Abraham hearkened to the voice 
of Sam/i.” This was his error. There was another 
voice he should have heard. If he had any doubts upon 
his mind, or any suspicion that his present wife was not 
the predestined mother of the numerous posterity that 
were to people Canaan, he should at least have betook 
himself to prayer. In a day of such remarkable revela¬ 
tions, and in an affair of so hiuch consequence, he might 
reasonably have expected an express direction from 
heaven ; and he who had been already so privileged, 
ought to have unbosomed his thoughts and explained his 
i desires to the Lord. Let such as sustain the closest con- 
1 nexion, beware of becoming snares instead of helps to 
j, each other ! Previous to a compliance with any impor- 
I tant request that may lead to considerable consequences, 

1 let us, from whatever quarter it proceed, or however 
justifiable it may appear, promptly ava^l ourselves of that 

VoL. 1. E 



38 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

gracious throne, which is always accessible to the humble 
petitioner. We are liable to so many misconceptions, 
exposed to the influence of so many prejudices, and 
subject to the attacks of such a variety of temptations, 
that our only security is in the exercise . of a devotional 
spirit, our only help is in the Lord our God. If any man 
lack wisdom, let him repair to the fountain of intelligence, 
and solicit those supplies from heaven which are not only 
freely dispensed, but fully adequate to our diversified 
necessities. 

The consequence of this unsanctioned proceeding, was 
precisely what might have been expected. Elated with 
the honour of her situation, Sarah is despised by her 
Egyptian handmaid. She treats her with contempt and 
impertinence, as if she were the peculiar favourite qf 
Heaven, and hoping, no doubt, that the ample promises 
of Gtod were to be fulfilled by her means. Knowing 
what human nature is, we cannot wonder at this dispo¬ 
sition, culpable as it was. Nothing is more common than 
for persons, when raised above the meanness of their 
birth, and the inferiority of their former circumstances,, 
to be guilty of assuming airs of importance, and to forget 
their most obvious duties : and we would caution servants 
especially against such unwarrantable conduct. If divine 
favours should be conferred upon them, if by the 
grace of God they should be made partakers of that 
spiritual dignity which genuine religion confers, and be 
thus placed upon a level with their masters or mistresses 
in the Christian church, let them remember that they are 
not exempted from a civil subserviency. They are by- 
no means elevated above their natural situation as ser¬ 
vants, because they become Christians; but all the pe¬ 
culiar claims of domestic duty remain. An aspiring or a 
haughty spirit is unbecoming their newly acquired cha¬ 
racter, and shows that they have very imperfectly learned 
of him who was “ meek and lowly of heart.” Every 
person is respectable in his station, exactly in proportion 
as it is properly occupied ; and real religion, instead of 
disqualifying for subordinate situations, is adapted to pro- 


SARAH. 


39- 

duce contentment, and to dictate an exemplary and uni¬ 
form correctness of conduct in whatever condition we may 
be placed by Providence. “ Servants, be obedient to 
them that are your masters, according to the flesh, with 
fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto 
Christ: not with eye-service, as men-pleasers ; but as the 
servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart ; 
with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to 
men : knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth. 
the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be 
bond or free.” “Let as many servants as are under the 
yoke, count their own masters worthy of all honour, that 
the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. 
And they that have believing masters, let them not despise 
them, because they are brethren ; but rather do them 
service, because they ai© faithful and beloved, partakers 
of the benefit.”* 

If Hagar behaved with impertinence and vanity, Sarah 
manifested a very censurable degree of resentment. Ir¬ 
ritated by her handmaid’s arrogance, she appealed to 
Abraham, protesting that she could not endure such in¬ 
solence, and charging him with a secret connivance, if not 
an encouragement, of her provoking behaviour. Thus 
we perceive a specimen of what will generally prove the 
case in family dissensions—both were in the wrong. 
Hagar was aspiring and rude ; Sarah passionate and 
severe. If the former should have recollected her obli¬ 
gations, the latter ought not to have forgotten her own 
foolishness in raising her above her natural level, and 
placing her in circumstances of powerful temptation. 
The one should have known her place ; the other have 
kept her temper. Let the modern mistress and servant 
take a lesson from this unhappy difference. How many 
intestine commotions might be prevented, if inferiors 
would not overstep the proper limits of their sphere ; and 
if superiors in station would be conciliating in spirit! 

The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water ; 

Eph. vi. 5—a. 1 Tim. vi. 1, 


40 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

therefore leave oif contention before it be meddled 
with.”^ 

Abraham wisely avoided all interference in this affair ; 
and though his beloved Sarah had appealed to him in 
very intemperate terms, he gave a soft answer. “ Behold, 
thy maid is in thy hand ; do to her as it pleaselh thee.”^ 
lie refrained from all self-vindication, to which he seemed 
called by the violent appeal of his wife ; but if he thought 
proper either to defend himself, or to remonstrate with 
lier, he chose another occasion. When the passions are 
inflamed, the judgment is seldom sufficiently unbiassed to 
listen to reason or to consult propriety. It has been 
<juestioned, however, whether in this instance he was not 
too submissive. The Egyptian maid seemed entitled to 
protection ; and, instead of yielding to the rage of Sarah, 
he should have interposed his mediation, and if necessary, 
liis authority, to restore peace. 

Incapable of resisting the combined assaults of jealousy, 
rage, and revenge, the poor foreigner is driven from the 
roof of Abraham* She fled into the wilderness with the. 
view of returning to her native country, but was suddenly 
arrested in her flight by an angelic messenger, who ad¬ 
monished her to return to her mistress, and pacify her 
by ready and unconditional submission. He also predicted 
the character and habits of her future offspring, mention¬ 
ing the name by which he was to be called, and consol¬ 
ing her in this season of tribulation by an assurance that 
“ the Lord had heard her affliction.” She instantly re¬ 
traced her steps ; and, as no intimation is given to the 
contrary, we may infer that the fugitive Wcis restored to 
her situation in the family. She was humbled, and Sarah 
conciliated : and as we hear nothing of her for some 
years, they probably lived in tolerable harmony. It was 
a merciful interposition to send her back to the family of 
Abraham ; for a connexion with the people of God, what¬ 
ever may be their faults, is far more desirable than the 
richest inheritance, or the noblest alliance, where reli> 
gion is discarded or unknown. 

* ProT. xvii. 14. 


SARAH. 


41 


As the birth of the Egyptian’s son was attended by no di¬ 
vine congratulations, Abraham is still permitted to pass thir¬ 
teen years more in a state of suspense respecting the pro¬ 
mised child ; when at the age of ninety-nine, Years before 
the covenant is renewed by another revela- Christ, 1898. 
tion. On this remarkable occasion his wife received the 
name by which we have uniformly called her, Abraham 
being distinctly assured of her predestined privilege as 
the mother of the promised seed. A similar change 
of name was conferred upon the patriarch. Hitherto he 
had been Abram, a “ high,” or “ eminent father now 
he is to be Abraham, “ the father of a great multitude.” 
His beloved wife, who had been called Sarai, “ my prin¬ 
cess,” was in future to be distinguished by the name of 
Sarah, “ a princess,” denoting a more extensive honour. 
Jf he were to become the Father, she was to be the 
Mother, of “ many nations.” 

Having already witnessed the misconduct of Abraham’s 
wife on two memo-rable occasions, it would be highly 
gratifying to hear, in the next circumstance of her history,, 
that she acted worthy of her connexion with so illustrious 
a husband. But alas ! we are still necessitated to derive 
instruction rather from a record of her faults than of her 
excellencies. We must expect to witness a variety of 
these in every human character, combined only with 
comparatively a small number of shining graces. Indeed 
we find, in general, but ooe very distinguishhig good 
quality associated with those of a different complexion ; 
and if the plant of grace spring up and grow in the hu¬ 
man character, it is usually in a thicket of inferior prin¬ 
ciples and unholy propensities. While, therefore, en¬ 
gaged in the cultivation of our hearts, in “ keeping them 
with all diligence,” as the wise king of Israel expresses 
it one very important duty we owe to ourselves is to 
watch the appearance of these irregularities, and aim, by- 
unremitting attention, united with fervent prayer, to 
eradicate them from the moral soil, lo Sarah we see 

* Prov. iv. 23. 






42 


FEMALE SCRIFTUKE BIOGRAPHY. 


great a luxuriance of evil as can be imagined to blend 
with real piety, without essentially deteriorating it. 

Sitting one day at the door of his tent to enjoy the 
refreshing shade,* Abraham observed three strangers 
approaching, whom he hastened to meet, that he might 
offer them any temporary accommodation in his power. 
This act of hospitality was conformable to the usage of 
the country ; but the peculiar generosity of Abraham 
seems indicated in his running to meet them.! The 
invitation is immediately accepted; and the good old 
man, with the most obliging readiness, offered water to 
wash their feet, and bread to satisfy their hunger. He 
hastened to Sarah, directing her to make some cakes of 
fine meal, and bake them on the hearth ; and then went 
himself to the herd to choose a tender calf, which he 
immediately proceeded d:o dress. Butter and milk, tlie 
produce of their own pasture, were of course supplied. 
The venerable patriarch then took his respectful standing 
under the branches of a neighbouring tree, which af¬ 
forded a pleasant screen from the sultry sun. What ex¬ 
quisite simplicity is discernible here! what a subject for 
the painter! what a theme for the poet! what an example 
for the good! Three heavenly messengers at the humble 
table of one of the greatest men that ever inhabited this 
world—a patriarch—a prince-^the father of the faithful 
—the friend of God—venerable for age—distinguished 
by his hospitality—still more eminent for faith!—their 
canopy the over-arching sky—their shelter, the wide- 
spreading tree—flocks and herds grazing around, the 
indications of an industry which Providence had blessed 
with remarkable success—and the plain of Mamre spread¬ 
ing its luxuriance before their eyes 1— 

But we must hasten to the remarkable subject of their 
conversation. At present the patriarch did not suspect 

* The following quotation is illustrative of this circumstance: “ At ten 
minutes after ten in the morning, we had in view (says Dr. Chandler) 
several fine bays, and a plain full of booths, with the Turcomans sitting by 
'the doors, under sheds resembling porticos; or by shady trees, sur- 
i-ounded with flocks of goats.” Harmeh’s Observations, vol. i. p. 132. 

t Gen. xviii. 2. 


SARAH. 


43 


the real character of his visiters ; who introduced their 
intended communication by asking, “ Where is Sarah thy 
thy wife ?” This must have excited great surprise ; for 
how could strangers know the affairs of his family, and 
the particular name of his wife, which had been so re¬ 
cently changed ? He informed them, however, that she 
was in the tent, where, according to the prevailing 
custom of the times, she had her separate table. One 
of the angels, immediately personating Jehovah himself, 
if he were not, as appears probable, the very “ Angel 
of the Covenant,” gave this solemn assurance : “ 1 will 
certainly return unto thee accoiding to the time of life ; 
and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son 1” Sarah, whom 
curiosity had brought to the door of the tent to listen to 
what piissed, overhearing this assurance, and looking 
upon it as an impossible occurrence at her time of life, 
laughed in derision. She had long come to the conclusion 
that she should produce no son to Abraham, and, there¬ 
fore, that all such expectations were chimerical and ri¬ 
diculous. This excessive incredulity—excessive, be¬ 
cause a distinct assurance of the fact had been already 
given to Abraham upon the occasion of their change of 
names—was highly culpable ; hut while we denounce it 
with merited severity, let us examine our own hearts. 
Have we never acted in a similar manner ? Have we 
never distrusted the providence of God or his promises ? 
Who can plead exemption from a spirit of unbelief ? 
What surmises have agitated our bosoms, when the events 
of life contradicted our expectations ? What despondency 
have we shown, and what distrust, when the movements 
of Omniscience were incomprehensible to our reason, 
and opposed to our apparent interest ? If but one part 
only of the divine proceedings seemed incongruous, we 
have dared to arraign “ the whole stupendous plan 
if but “ a momentary cloud” arose upon our prospect, we 
have begun to fancy that order was at an end, that the 
sun had for ever disappeared, that God had “ forgotten 
to be gracious, and in anger shut up his tender mercies.’ 


44 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHV. 

Let US then aim to correct these irregularities of feeling, 
and to dismiss these misinterpretations of Providence. 

Sarah imagined that her contemptuous incredulity was 
only known to herself: but the heavenly visiter instantly 
detected it, and appealed to Abraham on its impropriety. 
Possibly the reason of addressing Abraham, rather than 
calling the culprit herself to an account, w'as to inflict 
the severer reproof. Ah ! how vainly do we strive to 
conceal the secret thoughts of the mind from the know¬ 
ledge of God ! His eyes, which run to and fro through 
the earth, penetrate through every disguise, and perfect¬ 
ly discern every inward motion as well as every outward 
action. We live every moment—in the darkest midnight 
as well as at the brightest noon—in the full blaze of Om¬ 
niscience. “ O Lord, thou hast searched me and known 
,me : thou knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising \ 
thou understandest my thoughts afar off.”* 

Incapable of enduring this exposure, the criminal now 
rushes from her concealment, and boldly calls out, “ I 
laughed not.” This was a direct falsehood, dictated by^ 
apprehension ; and it was confronted by the instant re¬ 
tort of him who knew her heart : “ Nay, but thou didst 
laugh.” It is possible that Sarah had some mental reser¬ 
vation, when she so flatly denied the assertion of the an¬ 
gel : she might persuade herself that she did not abso¬ 
lutely laugh, but only smiled, or felt contempt; but 
whatever mode she might have adopted to explain away 
her conscious guilt, it was unavailable, as every such 
unworthy subterfuge must always prove. 

We cannot help remarking the danger of the least de¬ 
viation from the path of rectitude. One sin prepares 
the way for the commission of another ; one step over 
the edge and boundary of uprightness may lead us down 
a precipice, and plunge us into a fatal series of crimes. 
We have already seen an exemplification of this remark ; 
and it is more strikingly illustrated in the present transac- 
t(ioa. Curiosity brought her to the door, where she was 

*Ps. cxxxix. 1, 


SARAtt. 


45 


soon betrayed into unbelief: detection soon produced a 
fear of censure ; this dread produced a ridiculous attempt 
at concealment and self-justification ; and the pride of 
her heart issued in exciting her to a deliberate falsehood, 
Notwithstanding her incredulity, however, Sarah shall 
bear a son, to be the spring of innumerable blessings to 
her posterity. Thus infinite Goodness overrules the 
perverseness of his people, as well as the wrath of sin¬ 
ners, ultimately to promote his own designs. 

If, on this occasion, the daring transgressor had been 
smitten to the earth by an instantaneous judgment, it 
must have been regarded as a proper expression of the 
divine displeasure. Her repeated provocations merited 
the severest chastisement, and would undoubtedly have 
justified’ such a proceeding. The thoughts of Jehovah, 
however, are not as our thoughts, nor his ways as our 
ways. There is nothing vindictive in the character of 
the blessed God ; and if he have on certain occasions 
launched the thunderbolt upon the guilty.heads of sin¬ 
ners, the circumstances have shown that the atrocity 
of their iniquities has required a signal visitation. How 
far punishment of this nature may be necessary in any 
particular case, it is not for beings limited in their views 
as we are to decide, but simply to rely on the wisdom of 
him, who, with a due intermixture of severity and mercy, 
justice and grace, conducts the affairs of the universe. 

Overawed by the angelic presence, and mortified by 
an inward consciousness of her folly and sin, Sarah utter¬ 
ed not another word. She could neither vindicate her 
incredulity, nor extenuate her false assertion ; and though 
she proceeded to great lengths, we are happy to find that 
she sufficiently restrained her intemperate passions to 
retire in silence. 

From this moment we trust she assumed another cha¬ 
racter. Reflection restored her to her right mind. She 
dismissed her criminal doubts, and resigned herself to the 
divine disposal. As the predestined period of her giving 
birth to the child of promise was approaching, her faith 
produced the liveliest sensations of joy ; and both she and 


46 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY 

Abraham exulted in the prospect of a son. That this 
was the state of her mind, we are assured from indis' ** 
putable authority : “ Through faith Sarah herself re^ 
ceived strength to conceive seed, and was delivered o 
a child when she was past age, because she judged him 
faithful who had promised.”* 

Perhaps we may be disposed to say, it was time she 
did believe. After such remarkable manifestations, and 
such reiterated promises to Abraham, it would hav-e been 
passing strange had she continued incredulous. Surely 
there was enough to convince her, that, whatever diffi¬ 
culties nature might present, grace had determined to 
overcome them, and that every reasonable and every 
possible evidence of the intended miracle had been given. 
But is it so unusual for mankind to resist the most con¬ 
vincing arguments, and to disbelieve even the most ob¬ 
vious truth, that the case of Sarah ought to be regarded 
as so extraordinary ? Have \ve not daily proof of a simi¬ 
lar obstinacy • and perverseness ? If it be observed that 
Sarah possessed great advantages, being connected with 
so excellent a man, and so great a favourite of heaven as 
Abraham, and being visited by angelic messengers, and 
instructed by celestial visions ; this may be admitted. 
But do not those who reject the truth of Christianity or 
disobey its precepts, act a more criminal as well as un¬ 
reasonable part, inasmuch as they enjoy all the instruc¬ 
tion and all the experience of past ages ? And is it not a 
more outrageous defiance of heaven to oppose the reality 
of its manifestations, after successive centuries have de¬ 
monstrated the truth of predictions once mysterious, evin¬ 
ced the nature of facts once misunderstood, dispersed the 
iypical shadow which once enveloped the sublimest dis¬ 
coveries of infinite wisdom, and poured upon a benight¬ 
ed world the full blaze of evangelical revelations ?— 
Sarah doubted the possibility of an occurrence which was 
attended with striking difficultie», and evidently miracu¬ 
lous ; but what censure do not they deserve who shut. 


* Heb. xi. 11. 


41 


SARAH. 

their eyes against the clearest light, perplex with so¬ 
phisms the most intelligible statements, and endeavour, 
by every exertion of a slanderous tongue and a malig¬ 
nant pen, to subvert the basis of our religious hopes, 
and to undermine a fabric which has stood the test of ages, 
giving repose and refreshment to millions of heaven- 
bound pilgrims on their journey ! 

To draw the circle of reflection closer.—If our incon¬ 
sistences were written in a book—if the instances of our 
unbelief amidst evidences, of our failures in temper and 
spirit, of our misimprovement of the peculiar advantages 
of our situation, were recorded for the warning of others 
—is there any probability that we should acquire much 
honour by a comparison with the wife of Abraham ? We 
do not indeed justify her faults, but let us not overlook 
our own. We have better means and brighter discove¬ 
ries. In these last days God hath spoken unto us by his 
Son. We are, through faith, become the children of 
Abraham, interested in the new covenant, introduced into 
the family and admitted to the friendship of God. We 
have seen the visions of patriarchal days, the promises 
and blessings of the ancient dispensation, the memorable 
and terrific descent of Jehovah on Sinai, the prefigura¬ 
tions of the Mosaic economy, the personal glories, the 
incarnate love, the agonizing death, the triumphant ascen¬ 
sion of the Son of God; we enjoy means of instruction 
which no other age did or could possess. And wherein 
consists our superiority to former saints, even those whose 
imperfections are the most conspicuous ? Surely, the ob¬ 
servation may be retorted upon many hearers and pro¬ 
fessors of the Gospel, in reference to their top frequent 
instances of inconsistency—it is time you did believe ! 
Yeare before The birth of Isaac, the promised seed, was 
Christ, 1897. attended with great rejoicings. His very 
name, signifying laughter, was expressive of the happy 
occasion ; and Sarah, in -the ecstacy of her mind, ex¬ 
claimed, “ God hath made me to laugh, so that all that 
hear me will laugh with me.’-* The birth of a child is 

* Gen. xxi. 6. 


48 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHV. 


naturally the subject of joy and congratulation ; but the 
introduction of Isaac into the world, who had been so 
long and repeatedly promised, demanded and excited 
unusual satisfaction. Sarah, who introduced him with a 
mother’s joy, nursed him herself with a mother’s care.* 
She was ignorant of the cruel absurdity which modern 
refinement has invented, of separating the tender offspring 
from its proper guardian and provider, and thus not only 
exposing it to many inconveniences and hardships, but nul¬ 
lifying the wise and kind arrangements of Providence. 
Alas ! nature, reason, and religion, must all be violated 
in compliance with fashion ! Need we feel surprised that 
barbarity should produce alienation, and that she who 
refuses to show tenderness, should fail of receiving at¬ 
tachment ? Is it at all astonishing, that habits and senti¬ 
ments foreign to domestic comfort should be acquired ; 
and that, when proper discipline and personal superin¬ 
tendence are neglected, the young plant should shoot into 
unsightly irregularities of spirit and character ?— 

. How soon may the brightest day be overcast with a 
cloud ! How liable are our best enjoyments to interrup¬ 
tion ! The weaning of Isaac was celebrated with great 
festivities ; upon which occasion this favo\irite child was 
recognized as Abraham’s heir. This excited the dis¬ 
pleasure of Ishmael; which the jealous eye of Sarah 
observing, she insisted upon the instantaneous expulsion 
of mother and son from the family. We are sorry to 
witness any revival of the old spirit ; but, in this world, 
unholy passions cannot be totally eradicated. We should 
hope, however, there was more reason, as well as reli¬ 
gion, in her displeasure on this than on a former occa¬ 
sion. The young man was, probably, ridiculing the 
whole ceremony, and deriding the parents, the child, and 
the promise; for passion and prejudice are never very 
discriminating in their censures. Ishmael was, in fact, of 
a wild, ungovernable temper; but we have no evidence 
that the provocation w’as sufficient to justify the proceed- 


# Gen. xxi. 7. 


SARAlt. 


49 


ing of Sarah, in peremptorily demanding the expulsion of 
the mother and her child. Thus did Abraham’s concu¬ 
binage continue to imbitter his domestic peace ; and the 
good old patriarch was again placed in the most difficult 
and perplexing situation. 

Whatever feelings may be supposed to have dictated 
the resolution of Sarah, it was coincident with the de¬ 
signs of God ; and Abraham, who had certainly sought 
divine direction, was commanded to comply. This would, 
no doubt, quiet the feverish anxiety of his mind ; for a 
consciousness of doing the will of God, however con¬ 
trary it may be to our natural inclinations, is sufficient to 
smooth the roughest path of duty, and to lighten the hea¬ 
viest burden we may be called to sustain. Abraham, in 
this, as well as in various other instances, displayed ex¬ 
emplary faith. The bitter draught, however, was some¬ 
what sweetened. It was difficult to parental feelings to 
concur in so severe a measure ; but some gleam of futu¬ 
rity was afforded to enlighten the darksome but appointed 
path. ‘‘ And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be griev¬ 
ous in thy sight, because of the lad, and because of thy 
bond-woman : in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, 
hearken unto her voice ; for in Isaac shall thy seed be 
called. And also of the son of the bond-woman will I 
make a nation, because he is thj^seed.” 

Nothwithstanding the faults to which we have found it 
necessary to advert, Sarah was unquestionably a great 
character. She not only stands recorded in the New 
Testament amongst those who were illustrious in ancient 
times for their faith, but is exhibited as a pattern of do¬ 
mestic conduct. Her defects were but occasionally visi¬ 
ble, being commonly concealed amidst the brightness of 
her numerous excellencies. Her obedience to x4braham 
is specified by the apostle as a laudable singularity, which, 
in connexion with other virtues, he thus recommends: 
“ Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own hus¬ 
bands ; that if any obey not the word, they also may 
without the word be won by the conversation of the 
VoL. I. F 


50 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


wires; while they behold your chaste conversation 
coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that 
outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of 
gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hid¬ 
den man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, 
even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is 
in the sight of God of great price. For after this man¬ 
ner, in the old time, the holy women also, who trusted in 
God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their 
own husbands, even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling 
him lord; whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, 
and are not afraid with any amazement.”* 

Years before Seven aud thirty years after the birth of 
Christ, 185^. jgaac, and when Sarah had attained the age of 
one hundred and twenty-seven, we come to the conclu¬ 
sion of her “ mortal story.” Her death, and the re¬ 
spect paid to her memory, are related with a circumstan¬ 
tial minuteness which is truly honourable to her charac¬ 
ter. This affecting event occurred at Kirjath-Arba, or 
Hebron, in the plain of Mamre, where Abraham came to 
bemoan his loss. Venerable man! thine was no common 
mourning'. Thou didst not merely sit upon the ground, 
assuming the customary attitude of grief; but thine were 
genuine sorrows ! What big tears of undissembled pain 
poured down thine aged cheeks ! How did affection recall 
the days, and months, and years of delightful union, which 
time had strengthened, but death had now dissolved ! And 
yet, while nature demanded this tribute of fond remem¬ 
brance, religion had taught thee to moderate thy distress, 
and to elevate thy hopes to a brighter world, where holy 
friendship, begun on earth, shall be purified and perpetu¬ 
ated through everlasting ages ! 

The longevity of ancient times, and especially of the 
antediluvians, naturally excites surprise; but what a 
dream is human life, even at its most protracted period 
How soon do even centuries elapse ! How solemn the 
consideration, that the flood of ages, which has swept 

* 1 Pet. iii. 1—G. 


SARAH. 


51 


from the surface of this globe so many millions of our 
predecessors, however firm may have been their health, 
or numerous their years, or eminent their characters, is 
daily impelling us forward to the “ house appointed for 
all living .Tfieir pilgrimage terminated, and so must 
ours: their earthly relations were dissolved, and their 
places in society were vacated ; and soon the place which 
we occupy, shall “ know us no more.’- j The stream 
flows on, and we cannot arrest its course. Happy for 
us, if it should appear that we are going to join the so¬ 
ciety of the blessed ; if, possessing the faith of Abraham, 
we have reason to indulge the hope of being eventually 
transported to his bosom ! 

Sitting in imagination at the grave of Sarah, and blend¬ 
ing our sympathizing tears with those of her honoured 
husband, what a lesson may we learn respecting the 
vanity of human life ! The flower whose exquisite 
beauty and attractive sweetness once excited so much 
desire, is faded, and mingled with common dust! There 
lies a form, which was so lovely and so beloved, to furnish 
a repast for creeping worms ! How bereft of that spirit 
which once animated it! How altered and defaced by the 
putrefying touch of mortality ! Here the race of life 
terminates ; and to this loathsome dwelling, the proudest, 
the fairest, the wealthiest, the most celebrated, and the 
most elevated of our race, must sooner or later descend !— 
“ Prepare to meet thy God !”J 
We may take a momentary glance at another con¬ 
sideration. In order to answer the great end of their 
being, in order to be furnished with adequate means for 
the employment of their immortal faculties, and for pos¬ 
sessing that plenitude of felicity of which their sanctified 
natures are capable, the saints of God must be removed 
out of the present world. Often do they exclaim, “ I 
loath it; I would not live alw^ay :”§—“ O that I had wings 

* Job XXX. 23. f Ps. ciii. 16. 

I Amos iv. 12. § Job vii. l6. 


J-EiMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


.^2 

like a dove ; for then would I flee away, and be at 
restl”* 

This prevailing wish accords with the purpose of Hea¬ 
ven. Infinite benevolence cannot allow a spiritual and 
'sanctified character always to be imprisoned within the 
narrow confines of flesh and blood. It could never be 
satisfied to assign the objects of its affection so mean a 
{)ortion as the pleasures and the possessions of this inferior 
state of existence. They must Jie to be perfectly blest. 
This earth n'ill not do for a Christian in the maturity of 
liis character. It is too vile, and too transitory. Its gold 
is but dust,—its applause, a puff of noisy air,—its spariding 
pleasures, but polluted cisterns,—its richest gifts, but 
hubbies, which, if they reflect the fairest colours of the 
rainbow, break when they are grasped, or dissolve as we 
approach them, into mist and nothingness ! “ Set your af¬ 
fection on things above :’'t ‘‘ the things which are seen 

are temporal ; the things which are not seen are 

ETERNAL 

» Ps. Iv, f Col. nil 2, . +2 Cor. iv. IS? 




\ 


HAGJIU, 


CHAPTER III. 

Retrospective glance at the history—Hagar—the wilderness—angelic maN 
nifestation—divine promises—a view of their accomplishment—Hagar’s 
piety—^her second banishment and distress—another interposition—Pro¬ 
vidence illustrated. 

The contention between the wife of Abraham and her 
Egyptian handmaid, has already been the subject of ani¬ 
madversion ; but although their histories are considerably 
blended, sdme features in the character of the latter, and 
some affecting circumstances of her life, have beeii 
hitherto omitted, which seem to claim a separate 
notice. 

That retreat into Egypt, which was in some respects 
so dishonourable to the integrity, both of Abraham and 
.Sarah, was overruled for good. Pharoah showed great 
kindness to the patriarch, on account of his fair com¬ 
panion, who he had been led to suppose was his sister; 
and according to the custom of the age, and the high 
station of her admirer, he presented him with “ sheep, 
and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid¬ 
servants^ and she-asses, and camels.’’* No doubt it waa 
at this time Hagar was introduced into this pious family, 
and left her native country to accompany her imstress and 
master upon their return. 

The handmaids were a sort of female slaves. They 
were considered as the unalienable property of their mis¬ 
tresses, who claimed the produce of their labour, and even 
the children they bore.f 

Sarah’s impatience for offspring, and the rash policy of 
her urging Abraham to take this Egyptian servant as. a. 

* Gen. xxii. 16. 

f FLEUBv’a Manners of the aacient Israelite^. 


54 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


concubine, have been already mentioned, as well as the 
unhappy differences it occasioned in the family. We have 
seen the pride of Hagar, the petulance of Sarah, and the 
consent of Abraham that she should be banished from 
their dwelling. Let us follow the fugitive into the wil¬ 
derness, and observe the extraordinary result. 

It was the evident intention of Hagar to escape to her 
native country. She went into the wilderness of Shur, 
which extended between Canaan and Egypt, where she 
sat down for refreshment by a spring of water. Whatever 
degree of blame we may impute to her in this precipi¬ 
tate removal from the house of her pious master, it is 
impossible not to pity her melancholy situation. Alone, 
and unbefriended by any human being ; surrounded by a 
thousand perils in the desert which stretched its cheerless 
solitude before her; expelled from a family where she 
had so long resided, and where she enjoyed so many 
advantages ; uncertain of her future residence ; and in a 
condition which peculiarly claims our sympathy with the 
female sufferer ; her history cannot but excite inquiry, 
and produce interest. There was an eye that watched 
her movements and her tears. In a short time she is 
addressed by an unknown voice, which proved to be the 
voice of one of those ministering spirits that are employed 
to execute the designs of infinite goodness. “ Hagar,” 
said he, “ Sarai’s maid, whence earnest thou ? and whither 
wilt thou go ?” 

The knowledge of her past history, which this ques¬ 
tion indicated, must have convinced the poor fugitive 
that this was some divine visitation ; and she immediately 
answered, “ I flee from the face of my mistress Sarah.” 
This was a simple, direct, ingenuous statement. Here 
was no concealment; no prevarication respecting the 
whole truth ; and how much better was this than any at¬ 
tempt at evasion or dishonesty ! We are not, indeed, al¬ 
ways obliged to disclose our circumstances to every in¬ 
quirer ; but, if we do, our words ought to be the exact 


HAGAR. 


55 


representation of the case ; for, sooner or later, integrity 
will be advantageous both to our character and our real 
interests. 

The reply of Hagar was, moreover, creditable to her 
temper. Sarah and her handmaid had parted under cir¬ 
cumstances of mutual provocation j and the latter had, no 
doubt, suffered very indignant treatment. But she does 
not avail herself of this unexpected interview to enter 
npon her own justification, or to produce a long and for¬ 
mal charge against her mistress. The mere fact of her 
expulsion is stated without any comment. It must indeed 
be admitted, that her introduction into the family of Abra¬ 
ham placed her in that inferior condition in which Sarah 
possessed an indisputable right over her person ; and it 
must also be admitted, that she had manifested a very un¬ 
warrantable vanity in despising her for barrenness ; yet, 
judging from her dispassionate language to the angel, we 
should infer that she was naturally of a more patient dis¬ 
position than her mistress, and is in this view worthy of 
the imitation of young women, whom Providence consigns 
to the same menial state. How many would have been 
clamorous and peevish, hasty in censuring their mis¬ 
tress, and forward in vindicating themselves ! They 
would have obtruded the story of the fancied injuries 
they had sustained upon every occasion, and wearied 
with the ridiculous recital, every one who might be found 
willing or unwilling to hear their complaints. But Hagar, 
simply and without any marks of irritation or resentment, 
stated the reason of her being alone in the wilderness at 
the fountain of water. 

If our idea be correct, we have here a specimen of 
a no very unusual case. Some who have no claim to the 
distinction of religious persons, which at present was the 
probable character of Hagar, frequently possess a mild¬ 
ness and amiableness of disposition which is peculiarly 
attractive ; while those who undoubtedly belong to the 
superior class of the pious and devout, exhibit unhappy 
defects of temper and disposition. The former resemble 


56 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


the flowers of the wilderness, beautiful indeed, and fra¬ 
grant, but wild ; the latter, those of the cultivated gar¬ 
den, blooming like the rose among thorns. The loveli¬ 
ness of those who are otherwise “ far from God,” excites 
our admiration, and wins our regard ; while the unsightly 
“ temper flaws” of sucH generally class with the ser¬ 
vants of God are repulsive and <3isgusting. In conse¬ 
quence of this, the distinction between the two essential¬ 
ly different characters, is not always sufficiently marked, 
or very perceptible; the excellence of the one ele¬ 
vating them almost to the dignity of saints, and 
the defects of the other sinking them almost to the 
meanness of sinners. But we should be cautious in 
passing our judgment, lest we also be judged. Let us 
not undervalue the sterling worth of the genuine Chris¬ 
tian, because it is blended with some obvious, or even 
some glaring incongruities. Let us equally beware of at¬ 
tributing undue value to the good qualities of the world¬ 
ling, and thus annihilate the distinction between the na¬ 
tural and spiritual character. 

It was happy for Hagar that the angel was sent to ar¬ 
rest her progress. After her explicit declaration of the 
reason of her flight, she was directed to return to her 
mistress, and submit herself. This was, perhaps, a 
hard saying, and a haughty spirit might easily have 
raised ingenious and perverse objections ; but we have 
additional evidence of this young woman’s good disposi¬ 
tion, in her receiving the mandate with a silent obedi¬ 
ence of spirit. Her best interests were likely to be 
more promoted by her returning into a pious family, not-- 
withstanding all its faults, than in going to reside amongst 
the idolaters of her native country ; and thus, when she 
knew not how to choose for herself, the goodness of God 
was displayed in appointing the bounds of her habitation. 
This command would prove to her, and should teach us, 
that whatever provocations or injuries we may have sus¬ 
tained, these cannot justify a wrong proceeding ; and we 
should hasten to retrieve our error by retracing our steps. 


HAGAR. 


67 


This, however, was only the secondary purpose of 
the present remarkable manifestation. Words of astonish¬ 
ing import immediately followed. Hagar was promised 
a numerous offspring, although the Messiah was not to 
descend from her ; and the promise was pronounced in a 
manner so solemn, so significant, so overwhelming, that 
her eyes were opened to see it was no other than the pa¬ 
triarch’s God that assured her of a participation in the 
patriarch’s blessing. “ And the angel of the Lord said 
unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it 
shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of 
the Lord said unto her. Behold, thou art with child, and 
shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael ; be¬ 
cause the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be 
a wild man ; his hand will be against every man, and 
every man’s hand against him ; and he shall dwell in the 
presence of all his brethren.” Similar promises were 
afterward reiterated, “ Behold, I have blessed him (Ish¬ 
mael) and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him 
exceedingly ; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will 
make him a great nation.”—“ And also of the son of the 
bond-woman will I make a nation, because he is thy 
seed.”—“ 1 will make him a groat nation.”* 

These predictions have been minutely accomplished. 
The posterity of Ishmael may be traced in the Ishmael- 
ites, the Hagarenes, the Itureans, and Arabs ; especial¬ 
ly the Scenites and Saracens, the latter of whom erected 
one of the largest empires in the world. To this day the 
Arabs are not only a distinct people, but possess the 
original character of their father, fierce and unsettled, 
living in a state of perpetual hostility against the rest of 
the world. Every attempt to subdue or extirpate them, 
has proved abortive. The Egyptians and Assyrians 
were equally unsuccessful, and whatever partial domini¬ 
on Cyrus and the Persians might obtain, they could ne¬ 
ver penetrate the interior of the country, or reduce 


^ Geo. xvii. 20. xxi. 13, 18. 


58 


FEMALE SCRIPTFRE BIOGRAPHY. 


them to tributary subjection. In vain did Alexander plan 
their destruction, the hand of Providence interposed to 
prevent it by his death. The Romans could never con¬ 
quer Arabia ; and they continued to molest their neigh¬ 
bours by incessant incursions. Under Mohammed they 
became a mighty empire, and though it was ultimately 
dissolved, they still maintained their liberty in defiance 
of the Tartars, Mamelukes, and Turks. 

“ Who,’* inquires a great writer, “ can fairly consider 
and lay all these particulars together, and not perceive 
the hand of God in this whole affair, from the beginning 
to the end ? The sacred historian saith, that these pro¬ 
phecies concerning Ishmael were delivered partly by the 
angel of the Lord, and partly by God himself : and in¬ 
deed who- but God, or one raised and commissioned by 
him, could describe so particularly the genius and man¬ 
ners, not only of a single person before he was born, but ■ 
of a whole race of people, from the first founder of the 
race to the present time ? It was somewhat wonderful, 
and not to be foreseen by human sagacity or prudence, 
that a man’s whole posterity should so nearly resemble 
him, and retain the same inclinations, the same habits, 
the same customs thronghnnt all asres. The wafpre of 
the purest spring or fountain are soon changed and pollu¬ 
ted in their course, aud the farther still they flow, the 
more they are incorporated an(f lost in other waters. How 
have the modern UMians degenerated from the courage 
and virtues of the old Romans ? How are the French ~ 
and English polished and refined from the barbarism of 
the ancient Gauls and Britons ? Men and manners 
change with times ; but in all changes and revolutions, 
the Arabs have still continued the same with little or no 
alteration. And yet it cannot be said of them, as some 
barbarous nations, that they have had no commerce or 
intercourse with the rest of mankind ; for, by their con¬ 
quests they overran a great part of the earth, and for 
some centuries were masters of most of the learning 
that was then in the world j but, however, they remain- 


HAGAR, 


69 


ed, and still remain the same fierce, savage, intractable 
people, like their great ancestor in every thing, and 
different from most of the world besides. Ishmael was 
circumcised, and so are his posterity to this day ; and as 
Ishmael was circumcised when he was thirteen years 
old, so were the Arabs at the same age, according to 
Josephus. He was born of Hagar, who was a concubine ; 
and they still indulge themselves in the use of mercenary 
wives and concubines. He lived in tents in the wilder¬ 
ness, shifting from place to place ; and so do his descend¬ 
ants, particularly those therefore called Scenites former¬ 
ly, and those called Bedoweens at this day. HtSwas an 
archer in the wilderness, and so are they. He was to 
be the father of twelve princes, or heads of tribes; and 
they live in clans or tribes at this day. He was a wild 
man, his hand against every man, and every man’s hand 
against him ; and they live in the same stale of war, their 
hand against every man, and every man’s hand against 
them. 

“ Thfs, I say, is somewhat wonderful, that the same 
people should retain the same dispositions for so many 
ages ; but it is still more wonderful, that with these 
dispositions and this enmity to the whole world, they 
should still subsist, in spite of the world, an indepen¬ 
dent and free people. It cannot be pretended, that no 
probable attempts were ever made to conquer them; 
for the greatest conquerors in the world have almost 
all, in their turns, attempted it. It cannot be pretended, 
that the dryness or inaccessibleness of their country 
hath been their preservation ; for their country hath 
been often penetrated, though never entirely subdued. 
I know that Diodorus Siculus accounts for their pre¬ 
servation from the dryness of their country; that they 
have wells digged in proper places known only 
to themselves, and their enemies and invaders, through 
ignorance of these places, perish for want of water: 
but this account is far from being an adequate and just 
representation of the case. Large armies have found 


60 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


the means of subsistence in their country ; none of their 
powerful invaders ever desisted on this account; and 
therefore, that they have not been conquered, we must 
impute to some other cause,. When, in all human 
probability, they were upon the brink of ruin, then 
they were signally and providentially delivered. Alex¬ 
ander was preparing an expedition against them, when 
an inflammatory fever cut him off in the flower of his 
age. PoMPEY was in the career of his conquests, when 
urgent affairs called him elsewhere. iEcius Gallus 
had penetrated far into the country, when a fatal disease 
destroyed great numbers of his men, and obliged him 
to return. Trajan besieged their capital city, but was 
defeated by thunder and lightning, whirlwinds and other 
prodigies, and that as often as he renewed his assaults. 
Severus besieged the same city twice, and was twice 
repelled from before it; and the historian Dion, a man 
of rank and character, though a heathen, plainly ascribes 
the defeat of the two emperors to the interposition of 
a Divine Power. We who know the prophecies, may 
be more assured of the reality of a divine interposition ; 
and, indeed, otherwise how could a single nation stand 
out against the enmity ot tlie whulc world for any length 
of time, and much more for near 4000 years together : 
the great empires round them have all in their turn 
fallen to ruin, w’^hile they have continued the same 
from the beginning, and are likely to continue the 
same to the end: and this, in the natural course of 
human affairs, was so highly improbable, if not altogether 
impossible, that as nothing but a Divine Prescience could 
have foreseen it, so nothing but a Divine Power could 
have accomplished it.”^ 

To return to Hagar. The effect of this angelic visita¬ 
tion was her conversion to the knowledge and love of 
God. The advantages of her former situation in the 
family of Abraham^ do not seem to have produced any 

* Newton’s Diss. on the Prophecies, vo!. i. p. 34—36. 


IIAGAK. 


61 


remarkable change of character; but in this tlie day of 
her affliction, in this the sad hour of her retreat and 
solitude, she is taught to pray. So true is it, that 
“ thy people shall be 'willing in the day of thy power 
How often have those means which to human appre¬ 
hension seemed best calculated to produce a renovation 
of heart utterly failed, while the Spirit of God has suc¬ 
cessfully operated by methods and in situations the 
least expected to avail! Happy solitude that brings 
us into the society of God! Welcome affliction that 
subdues us to his will! 

In the transports of holy affection, Hagar addressed 
Jehovah by a phrase, importing “ Thou God seest me;” 
and intimated the unexpected but welcome nature of 
the discoveries she had made, and of that influence 
which drew her after God in faith, and hope, and 
love :—“ Have I also here looked after him that seeth 
me ?” As a memento of this wonderful interposition, 
she named the spring of water by which she was sit¬ 
ting, “ Beer-lahai-roi,” that is, “ The well of him that 
liveth and seeth me.” 

Hagar, in adopting this language, expressed her 
grateful sense of the divine interposition. She felt con¬ 
scious that in her present circumstances she might 
have perished alone and unpitied ; or, if she had sur¬ 
vived, and taken up her residence in Egypt, she would 
have remained destitute of the religious instruction al¬ 
ready received, and the future advantages of pious in¬ 
tercourse. Her gratitude was blended with a feeling 
of humility, a consciousness of unworthiness. What 
could be more surprising, than that an angel should 
descend from the splendour of the divine presence, to 
converse with a poor wanderer in the wilderness of 
Shur, and console her by such wortderful promises? 
These benevolent spirits appear to have maintained a 
frequent intercourse with the best inhabitants of our 


VoL. 1. 


* Ps. cx. 3., 

G 


62 FKMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

globe in former ages, and to have been entrusted with 
the holy ministration of attending the Son of God in 
his incarnate state. If, since the completion of the 
canon of Scripture, the necessity of angelic visits be 
superseded, we ought nevertheless to record the good¬ 
ness of a superintending Providence. He who forms 
a just estimate of his mercies, may surely fill the diary 
of every day with grateful notices, and cannot take even 
a cursory retrospect of the years of past existence, 
without recollecting some striking interpositions which 
should often renew his praise and thanksgiving. Have 
we not been sustained in weakness, guided in perplexity, 
healed in sickness, supplied in poverty, or defended 
in danger ? Let not insensibility and forgetfulness add 
to the already large accumulations of our guilt. 

The words of Hagar ought also to be regarded as 
indicative of pious resignation of spirit amidst the ad¬ 
versities of life. It is common in calamitous circum¬ 
stances, or in afflictions which seem immediately occa¬ 
sioned by others upon whom we may have been de¬ 
pendent, or with whom we have been in any way 
connected, to exclaim against the cruelty of our enemy, 
or the malice of such as have been instrumental in 
producing our unhappiness ; but Hagar utters no com¬ 
plaints against Sarah, who had driven her into the 
wilderness, where she and her infant offspring might 
have perished. 

This is instructive. Admitting that we are not mistaken 
in our views, and that others may be really cruel; if we 
consider affliction aright, we shall leave the instrument 
to the judgment of God, and be solicitous only of glori¬ 
fying him, by possessing our souls in patience. Joseph 
afterward was an illustrious specimen of this dis})Osition. 
“ Now, therefore,” said he to his brethren, “ be not 
grieved nor angry with yourselves that ye sold me hither ; 
for God did send me before you to preserve life.”*- 


Gon, xlv. 5. 


Hagar. 


63 


All second causes constitute but the machinery on 
which the great First Cause operates. If we look 
merely to them, we shall find an endless source of dis¬ 
quietude ; if to him, wdio regulates the whole system of 
means, w'e cannot fail of obtaining satisfaction and peace 
of mind. Resignation is to be distinguished from a 
stoical indifference, or a sullen insensibility, occasioned 
by the conviction, that, as afflictions could not be avoided, 
they must be borne ; that it is in vain to struggle or re¬ 
sist ; and that our weakness renders endurance necessary, 
however irksome. It consists rather in a pious acquies¬ 
cence in the will of Heaven, arising from a persuasion that 
God knows what is really best for us; and that his dis¬ 
pensations, however painful or opposite to our wdshes, 
will prove conducive to our real benefit. He uses the 
corrective rod, not the destroying sw'ord. If he amputate 
the disordered member, it is to save the life. 

Cheerful hope for the future seems also to breathe 
through the expressions of Hagar, in which she is wor¬ 
thy of our imitation. Past interpositions form a solid 
foundation for future confidence. “ Surely,” said David, 
“ goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my 
life.”* Disconsolate believer, be assured that the pillar 
of cloud, ■which has hitherto directed thy path, shall 
accompany thee to the very borders of Canaan! “ Fear 
not,” says Jehovah, “ for I am with thee ; be not dis¬ 
mayed, for I am thy God : I will strengthen thee ; yea, 
I will help thee ; yea, I w ill uphold thee with the right 
hand of my righteousness”!—“ I will never leave thee, 
nor forsalve thee.”| 

It is natural to wish to pry into futurity. We are 
impatient to penetrate the clouds that envelope us, and 
to discern the distant course which Providence has 
prescribed for our feet. Curiosity combines with self- 
interest tgo urge this inquiry, but the reproof w^hich 
Peter received is justly merited by ourselves : “ What 
is that to thee ? Follow thou me.”§ If we follow Christ, 

^ Ps. xxiii, 5. 1‘t. i. 10. t Heb. xKi. 6. } John xxi. 22. 


6*4 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHV. 


Vve have nothing to dread; if we desert him, we have 
nothing to hope. Futurity can be no source of alarm to 
him who is conscious of acting right. It is filled with no 

Gorgons, and hydras, and chimeras dire,” but to the 
distempered imagination of the guilty spirit; and, there¬ 
fore, if we would escape misery^ we must resist sin. 

The language in question may be considered as ex¬ 
pressive of self-dedication, “ Thou God seest me,” my 
wants, my wishes, my entire situation! I have no will 
but thine ; no desire but what I readily submiFthat thou 
shalt gratify or disappoint according- to thy pleasure. If 
thou inflict chastisement, I will cheerfully sustain it; if 
thou afford prosperity, I will humbly enjoy and improve it. 
I will no longer live to myself; I am not my own. I 
agree to the transfer of all my powers, talents, and pos¬ 
sessions to thy service. My whole being shall henceforth 
be at thy disposal j it shall become thy absolute and in¬ 
alienable property : this is “ a living sacrifice” which I 
admit to be “ reasonable,” which I rejoice to believe is 
“ holy and acceptable.”* In time past I have “ sown to 
the flesh ;”t let this suffice—another principle influences 
me—another motive shall evermore predominate. 

A resolution of this nature must be dictated by the 
lowest opinion of ourselves, and the highest idea of God : 
and what is our proper situation, but in the dust ? and 
where should we place ,God, but on the throne ? To 
acknowledge this in theory, and to abandon it in practice, 
^s to trifle both with ourselves and with him. 

Entire dedication to God is by no means incompatible 
with the duties of life. It is possible to be “ diligent in 
business,” but “ fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”J 
We contend not for a vobintary seclusion from society, 
seeking the retirements of the cloister or the retreats of 
the wilderness : but we plead with you, whatever situa¬ 
tion you occupy, to set God always before 3 mur eyes, to 
act as in his sight, and daily to realize the true character 


Gal. vi. P- 


* Rom. xii. i,. 


t, Rom, xii. 11 


HAGAR. 


65 


o6 saints as “ strangers and pilgrims on earth.”*- Reli¬ 
gion, that flower of paradise, was never intended to 
“ waste its sweetness on the desert air,” but to flourish 
in society, and to diffuse its sacred perfumes in every 
walk of life. 

This elevation of piety, so far from poisoning the 
springs of human joy, so far from imbittering the cordials 
of our cup, will refine every enjoyment and purify every 
pleasure. It will blunt the keen edge of sorrow, and 
smooth the asperities of adversity. It will bring down 
heaven to earth, and render death itself a desirable pas¬ 
sage to everlasting life. Let us accustom ourselves to 
contemplate the most eminent examples of this spirit, 
that, by daily imitating them, we may, through grace, be 
progressively meetening” for the participation of their 
inheritance. 

If it were not Hagar’s immediate intention, her lan¬ 
guage may at least be adopted to express a constant sense 
of the divine omniscience. No idea is so calculated to 
animate us in the discharge of duty, or to sustain us in 
submission to evil. In the ancient Olympic games, how 
must the consciousness of twenty or thirty thousand 
witnesses of their efforts have stimulated the Grecian 
combatants, ranged as they were around them in an 
amphitheatre, and consisting of the first magistrates of 
the kingdom ! But how much more impressive and aw¬ 
ful is the persuasion that the great eye of the universe 
is upon us in our Christian race ; that the “ King eternal, 
immortal, invisible,” watches every movement, and be¬ 
holds with approbation or kindles into wrath, as we per¬ 
severe or draw back to 'perdition! He sees in solitude 
and in society, in the crowded city and the distant wil¬ 
derness. On the one hand he witnesses the aversion 
and rebellion of the wicked; on the other he gathers 
the tears of penitence into his bottle, records the peti¬ 
tions of fiiith in his book, and amidst the music of angels, 
bends his listening ear to the sighs of the sorrowful, 

* Heb. xi. 13. 


06 


FEMAf.E SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


Let Christians remember that tliey have a mightir 
struggle to sustain, but their resources are inexhaustible, 
They have to contend with the powers of darkness and 
the corruptions of nature. In the issue of this contest 
heaven and hell are interested; the one that you should 
fail, the other that you should come oif “ more than 
conquerors.” Angels are tvaiting on the shores of im¬ 
mortality to see the final result, and are already tuning 
their harps to sound your victory through the universe. 
The ascended Saviour addresses you from the skies, 
“ Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a. 
crown of life.”* 

In the preceding chapter, the occasion of Hagar’s 
second banishment from the family of Abraham was re¬ 
lated. During the festivities which were observed at 
the weaning of Isaac, her son indulged himself in pro¬ 
fane mockery; the consequence of which was, that 
Sarah insisted upon the instant expulsion of mother and 
child. Notwithstanding Abraham’s repugnance to this 
proceeding, he was induced to it by a divine command. 
Early in the morning he dismissed Hagar and her son, 
with a bottle of water and some bread, with which she 
hastened away into the wilderness of Beersheba. This 
scanty supply was soon exhausted, and the unhappy 
fugitives became reduced to the greatest distress. What 
could an unprotected female do in such melancholy cir¬ 
cumstances, but simply commit herself to the guidance 
of Providence, and pursue, though she knew not whither, 
her adventurous way ? Past deliverances ought to inspire 
confidence in every season of suffering; and we cannot 
but hope that her mind was long consoled, by the recol¬ 
lection of the heavenly interposition which she had en¬ 
joyed sixteen years ago, in her first banishment. No 
resentful feelings, no irritating language is recorded ; and 
doubtless Abraham dismissed her with as much kindness 
as the peculiarity of the circumstances admitted. 


P Rev. ii. Tth 


HAGAR. 


G7 


Hut behold a most tragical scene. In a few days the 
water is spent in the bottle. Poor Hagar pants along the 
solitary desert, turning hither and thither in search of 
some scanty supply. Not a drop of refreshment is to be 
found; till at length, arriving at some shrubs, she sat 
down with her exhausted—and, as she imagined, her 
dying child, beneath the welcome shade. Nothing but 
silence and solitude reigned around her. The burning 
sun had scorched up every sign of vegetation. She was 
driven from a pious family ; but she had no home, no 
friend, no helper! Officious kindness, which often 
soothes the agonies of death, was denied her. None 
were at hand to soothe her mind or wipe away her tears ; 
and her maternal heart was rent by the distracting ex¬ 
pectation of her son’s dissolution. At the very point of 
despair, she left Ishmael under a shrub, and retired to 
some distance to avoid the sight of his expiring agonies. 

Who can imagine the pain of this excruciating moment, 
or the bitterness of the tears she shed ! O what lamenta¬ 
tions did she utter, and perhaps what self-reproaches for 
her under-valuation of past mercies ! What regrets that 
she encouraged, or probably did not suppress and cor¬ 
rect, the perverse spirit of her son ! 

While we pity her desperate condition, we must not 
apologize for her sins. After the remarkable assurances 
which the angel had given her on a former occasion, it 
was a criminal unbelief in Hagar to sit down in despon¬ 
dency, and conclude that she and her son must inevitably 
perish: and yet this is but a specimen of the distrust 
which is too frequently manifested, even by those who 
profess to rely upon the promises of God. Happy for 
us, if, in cases of far less extremity, we have not been 
tempted to forget our mercies and relinquish our con*- 
fdence! 

The sighs of the lad were heard. An angel again ap¬ 
peared to his desponding mother—“ What aileth thee, 
Hagar ? Fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the 
Isid where he is : arise, and lift up the lad, and hold him 


68 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGKAPHV. 


in thine hand ; for I will make him a great nation.” At 
the instant of this address God is said to have opened her 
eyes, and she saw a well of water, whence she reple¬ 
nished the bottle, and supplied her fainting son. He re¬ 
vived, and afterward settled in the wilderness of Paran 
with his mother, and probably maintained her by the 
use of the bow. So wonderfully does the providence of 
God accomplish its predestined purposes ! 

This distressing circumstance in the life of Hagar was 
a link in a great chain of events, which were connected 
together by an invisible agency, and held in the divine 
hands. A superficial observer might see nothing in all 
that transpired but a curious concurrence of ordinary 
events. The insolence of Ishmael irritated the temper 
of Sarah ; she procured his expulsion and that of his 
mother from her household ; retiring in disgrace she 
narrowly escaped destruction in the wilderness, and 
afterward took up a casual residence in the vicinity. 
But if we pay a proper attention to these events, we 
shall view them with another eye. Every circumstance 
was connected with a vast providential plan, and tended 
to illustrate the power and sovereignty of God in the ac¬ 
complishment of his designs. 'I’bc folly of Ishmael, the 
conduct of Sarah, the compliance of Abraham, the va¬ 
rious occurrences connected with the settlement in Pa¬ 
ran, concurred iofuljil a divine ‘prediction^ and thus to 
evince the superintendence of God over all human 
affairs. “ Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee, and 
the remainder of wrath wilt thou restrain.” 


LOTS WIFE. 


CHAPTER IV. 

Delusions to which the young in particular are exposed—Lot's errone¬ 
ous choice—sin brings punishment—advantages of Lot’s wife—her re¬ 
markable deliverance—her guilt—general causes of apostacy traced, 
fear, love of tlie world, levity of mind, pride—doom of Lot’s wife. 

“Judge not,” said our Saviour, “ according to the 
appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”’^ This is a 
maxim which, though originally uttered in vindication of 
his character against the reproaches of the Jews, is ca¬ 
pable of a more extensive application. 

Captivated by the fascinating exterior of the world, 
the prospect of temporal advantage and diversified enjoy¬ 
ment, how many neglect to regulate their desires by 
those superior principles which Revelation inculcates, 
and which alone can secure substantial happiness ! The 
young especially suffer by this delusion. Lively in 
imagination, but immature in judgment; easily, and 
therefore frequently, deceived; they are hurried into 
tiiose premature determinations which cannot be 'cor¬ 
rected w’hen they come to discover their mistakes. It 
is to be deeply deplored, when young persons, through 
refusing to listen to the dictates of wisdom or the sugges¬ 
tions of experienced age, precipitate themselves into 
misery, and sacrifice to the fleeting possessions and plea¬ 
sures of this life, the higher interests of another exist¬ 
ence. Deeming themselves privileged to disregard, if 
not to ridicule religion, by virtue of their age, rank, or 
talents ; and living as though they held their present 
being by no precarious tenure, they trifle aw’ay their 
lime in criminal indulgences, and “ lose their owm souls” 


70 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


by a guilty procrastination. To persons of this class, 
Solomon suggests a most important truth, in the form 
of a sarcastic appeal—“ Rejoice, O young man, in thy 
youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy 
youth ; and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the 
sight of thine eyes ; but know thou, that for all these 
things God will bring thee into judgment.”* 

. There are also young persons of another description, 
who, though partially influenced by such motives, possess 
upon the whole a diflerent character. Their inconsist¬ 
encies, although highly detrimental, result rather from 
temporary illusion than from radical depravity. The 
passions which through grace are habitually subjugated 
to the yoke of reason and religion, acquire, on some oc¬ 
casions, a momentary ascendency; and, as the apostle 
describes it, “ they do” that which they “ allow not,” 
and that which they “ would” they “ do not.”t They 
are, for a time, inveigled by their senses—their eyes are 
dazzled, and their minds perverted. Their mistakes, 
both of judgment and of feeling, connect themselves, per¬ 
haps, with a long series of disasters, neither to be fore¬ 
seen nor prevented. Sometimes the individual himself 
does not discover his error for a lapse of years ; conti¬ 
nuing under the deception, till the course of providential 
events awakens him from the dream of enjoyment, and 
successive afflictions restore him to his “ right mind.” 

If at that unhappy moment, when Lot, regarding tem¬ 
poral advantages only, and forgetting his religious dan¬ 
gers, “ lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of 
Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the 
Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden 
of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto 
Zoar’'{—if he could have anticipated the melancholy 
consequences of one false step, surely he would not have 
chosen the plain of Jordan for a residence, or pitched 
his tent towards the city of Sodom ! Infinitely better had 


^ Eccle?. xi. 9. f Rom. vii. 15. t Gen. xiii. 10. 


lot’s wife. 


’71 


it been for him to have accompanied Abraham to Mamre, 
or even to have lived in a retired and desolate wilder¬ 
ness. 

The most exalted piety does not necessarily exempt 
the individual who possesses it from the trials of life ; 
but it prepares the mind for enduring and improving 
them. In some instances, it obviates those external ca¬ 
lamities which befall an ungodly world, supplying the 
means of escaping from many of the punishments and 
penalties which the wicked suffer; but, in all cases, it 
prevents that anguish which arises from the secret con¬ 
viction, that the afflictions of life are the consequences 
of personal guilt and misconduct—sent, it is true, for 
their ultimate benefit; but sent in judgment, and expres¬ 
sive of displeasure. Sin is always pernicious. It not 
only involves the impenitent in present sufferings and fu¬ 
ture wo, but inflicts even on the people of God, in pro¬ 
portion to the degree in which it prevails, embarrassments 
and calamities. 

If we direct our course by mere worldly consider¬ 
ations, however fair the prospect may seem, the luxuri¬ 
ant plain is likely to become overspread with confusion, 
and deluged with misery. In consequence of the fatal 
choice of Lot, he soon became a captive, then a fugitive. 
He lost his liberty, his peace, his possessions, and final¬ 
ly his dearest connexion in life, by one of those awful 
dispensations in which the hand of God is so visible, the 
punishment of sin so striking, and the lessons of divine 
justice so terrible. We are admonished to “ remember 
Lot’s wife and truly her advantages^ her deliverance, 
her guilt, and her doom, furnish so many subjects of in¬ 
structive reflection. 

The ADVANTAGES of Lot’s wife w«re considerable. 
She was the nearest connexion of a “ just or pious man 
who, though he dwelt in Sodom, the very rendezvous of 
all the vices, “ vexed his righteous soul from day to day.” 


* Luke xvii. 32. 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


with the unlawful deeds,” and “ filthy conversation” of 
its wicked inhabitants.* 

Obvious and lamentable as were the defects in the 
character of Lot, it must, nevertheless, be admitted that 
he was a man of eminent piety—a piety the more con¬ 
spicuous, from the circumstances in which he was pla¬ 
ced. His fellow-citizens were inexpressibly depraved ; 
so much so, that in all the annals of sacred and profane 
history, we find no parallel example. Sodom was, in fact, 
one mass of pollution. High and low, rich and poor, 
seem to have been infected with moral contamination ; 
and every day their excessive immoralities dared the 
vengeance of Heaven. Lot stood alone and unsupport¬ 
ed, struggling against the torrent of iniquity that flowed 
down every street, and inundated with its filthiness the 
adjacent cities of the plain. 

Society animates the desponding spirit amidst discou¬ 
ragements. It in^ires diligence, quickens zeal, and 
strengthens against resistance. The example of the 
multitude often operates with pernicious influence in situ¬ 
ations where the pious experience considerable co-ope¬ 
ration ; and, considering the weakness of human nature, 
the force of temptation, the numerous instances of defec¬ 
tion, which occur even within the pale of the Christian 
church, “ continuance in well doing” is a just cause of 
congratulation under any circumstances. But that this ho¬ 
ly man should have remained steadfast and immoveable 
amidst the abominations of Sodom, is a proof of the con¬ 
firmed stability and superior excellence of his religion. 
Neither promises nor threatenings, neither ridicule nor 
flattery, could divert him from his course. He was nei¬ 
ther to be cajoled nor coerced; but set his face like a 
flint, and pursued the narrow path of obedience to God 
with undeviating perseverance. Piety had, in fact, ex¬ 
alted him to a higher sphere ; and, like the sun, that 
pursues his circuit alike through the calm or the stormy 


* 2 Pet. ii. 7,8. 


/ 


lot’s wife. 


73 


(lay, tlie obstructions which impiety seemed to throw in 
his path, proved nothing but cloud and vapour before his 
resistless progress. 

It must have been a singular privilege to have sustain¬ 
ed the intimate relationship of a zvife to one so excellent, 
and at a period, not only when immorality had ac¬ 
quired such an odious ascendency in the particular place 
of their residence, but when there was little religion in 
the world. His favoured partner had every opportunity 
of knowing his views upon the most important religious 
topics, and especially of being informed or reminded of 
the great designs of eternal Providence respecting the 
future mission of our Saviour ; to which bright consum¬ 
mation of human happiness the saints of God, in the remo¬ 
test ages, looked forward with confident anticipation. 

She had, besides, the best means of observing the in¬ 
fluence of true religion upon the character. She saw 
him in every position, and witnessed his conduct every 
day. If she were no stranger to many of his imperfec¬ 
tions, and these attach more or less to every one in the 
present state, she could not fail of perceiving a mighty 
contrast between his general deportment and spirit, and 
that of the guilty inhabitants of Sodom. He was not 
only unseduced by their example, but detested their 
practices ; and bore a decided, if it were an unavailing, 
testimony against them. She must have seen that his 
passions were under the regulation of principles to 
which they were perfect strangers ; and that his whole 
character was cast in a dift’erent mould. His fellow- 
citizens, indeed, possessed the advantage of his public 
example and judicious reproofs, although they were too 
base to receive any impression ; but she saw him at 
home, and had the privilege of domestic intercourse. 
There he presented his private and frequent devotions— 
there, no doubt, he erected the family altar, and day 
by day offered the solemn sacrifices of prayer and praise. 
Upon that house the eye of God was fixed, and there 

VoL. 1. H 


74 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


his blessing descended. One voice in Sodom, discord¬ 
ant to the universal chorus of imprecation and blasphe¬ 
my, was harmonious in the ear of Heaven—one hallowed 
flame ascended amidst the fires of lust—one drop of pu¬ 
rity mingled with an ocean of wickedness ! 

Whether the wife of Lot were benefited by his exam¬ 
ple, or properly observant of his actions, or whether she 
were infected by the general contagion, it is not possible 
to ascertain with certainty : her subsequent conduct ren¬ 
ders us suspicious of her having been, if not a practition¬ 
er of atrocious crimes, at least in love with the world, 
and destitute of real religion. 

Some of the best of men have suffered this severe af¬ 
fliction. The chosen companions of their pilgrimage 
have been strangers to their religious feelings, and could 
cherish no kindred sympathies. Instead of proving help 
meets, they have been hinderances ; instead of assisting, 
they have retarded their journey. In some cases, this 
must be imputed to themselves, as their own fault. 
They have been misled by their passions ; and, in con¬ 
sequence of “ entering into temptation,” they have 
plunged themselves into inevitable wretchedness. This 
is a sin which, we should hope, is not often committed ; 
and, as a means of prevention, we would enforce a 
contrary conduct by all the authority which can attach 
to the language of an inspired adviser. Paul exhorts 
us to marry “ only in the Lord and sustains his admo¬ 
nitions by irresistible argument : “ Be ye not unequal¬ 
ly yoked together with unbelievers ; for what fellowship 
hath righteousness with unrighteousness ? and what com¬ 
munion hath light with darkness ? and what concord hath 
Christ with Belial ? or what part hath he that believeth 
with an infidel 

There is one case, in which we must rather pity 
than censure this incongruous association. Previous to 
that essential change of character which is introductory 

* 1 Cor. vii. 39. 2 Cor. vi. 14,15. 


LOT'S WIFE. 


75 


to the kingdom of heaven, and which the New Testa¬ 
ment represents as being “ brought out of darkness into 
marvellous light,”* the woman and the man have, perhaps, 
become “ equally yoked” in unbelief. At the period of 
their early matrimonial connexion, no dissimilarity in 
point of religious principle existed. Both were lovers 
of pleasure more than lovers of God ;”t and, unhappily, 
neither of them felt the importance of securing perma* 
nent and solid enjoyment, by constructing it on the basis 
of genuine religion. Resembling others in the same 
period of youth and illusion, they embarked on the 
smooth and inviting surface, unaware of what storms 
awaited them, or what dangers lurked in the perilous sea 
of life. It was morning—the scene was new—the pros¬ 
pect gay—and their fair horizon seemed to encircle an 
earthly paradise ! They knew not it was a painted land¬ 
scape, and that “ pure and undefiled religion” alone could 
effectually prepare them for the disappointment. 

Since that period, one of this happy pair has become 
“ a follower of God,” the other remains “ a servant of 
sin”—the one has discovered the paramount importance 
of the interest of eternity, the other has not 3 ^et learned 
the necessity of salvation, or the value of the soul. Now 
is fulfilled the prediction of Christ, “ I came not to send 
peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at 
variance against his father, and the daughter against her 
mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in- 
law ; and a man’s foes shall be those of his own house^ 
hold.^'X 

Let those who are thus united together by the conjugal 
tie, although dissimilar in character, be excited to a con¬ 
sideration of their respective duties. The religious party 
should pursue a system of conciliation and kindness, as 
best calculated to exemplify the excellence of religion, 
and win the disobedient yoke-fellow ; and the irreligious 
husband or wife should study the virtuous peculiarities, 


^ ] Pet. ii. 9. 


t 2 Trm. iii. 4. t Matt. x. 34-36. 


7G FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

and worthy example, of the pious partner : the one being 
anxious to exhibit the genuine effect of religion—the 
other to examine with impartiality, and an unprejudiced 
attention, the operation of grace. 

Another circumstance to which our attention is direct¬ 
ed, in the history of Lot’s wife, is her deliverance from 
the miraculous conflagration of Sodom. The angelic 
messengers who were sent to Lot, conducted him and his 
family from the scene of danger. They first distinctly 
predicted the destruction of the cit}^ on account of its ex¬ 
treme iniquity, and intimated that they were commissioned 
to execute this awful purpose of eternal justice. They 
then inquired about his relations, commanding him to 
bring them out of the place ; but, with a spirit of infatua¬ 
tion too common to the impenitent, the earnest solicita¬ 
tions of Lot were utterly rejected, and even ridiculed. 
“ Up,” said he, “ get you out of this place, for the Lord 
will destroy this city! But he seemed as one that mocked 
unto his sons-in-law.” 

On the ensuing morning, at a very early hour, the two 
commissioned angels urged Lot to use all possible despatch 
in his departure, and to take with him his wdfe and daugh¬ 
ters. The predestined moment was at hand ; the win¬ 
dows of heaven were opening, and the burning tempest 
ready to descend. “ And while he lingered, the men 
laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, 
and upon the hand of his two daughters ; the Lord being 
merciful unto him ; and they brought him forth, and set 
him without the city. And it came to pass, when they 
had brought them forth abroad, that he said. Escape for 
thy life ; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all 
the plain ; escape to the mountairt, lest thou be con¬ 
sumed.”"^ 

This narrative intimates, with sufficient plainness, that 
Lot’s wife and daughters were spared- for his sake; and 
that it was nothing but the impenitent obstinacy of his 




^ Gen. xix. 16,17. 






lot's wife. 


in 

other family connexions, that prevented their escape. 
They would not listen, even though he “ lingered,” 
probably, to persuade them to accompany his flight; they 
must, therefore, perish. It appears that his wife and 
daughters also were reluctant, as the angels were obliged 
to take them each by the hand, and conduct them into the 
plain ; but,/or the sake of Lot, they were happily compelled 
to flee. If this woman had not been the wife, and these 
the daughters of a good man, they would have shared the 
tremendous fate of the other inhabitants of the city : their 
near connexion with him, unquestionably saved their 
otherwise unprotected lives. 

Humiliating as the sentiment may be to the enemies of 
religion, it is clearly deducible from this affecting nar¬ 
rative, and strikingly confirmed by other scriptural ac¬ 
counts—that righteous persons are the salt of the earth, 
the means, not only of preserving it from becoming an en¬ 
tire mass of corruption, but of averting the judgments of 
Heaven from others ; and especially of preserving those 
from awful calamity, who are more immediately connect¬ 
ed with them by the ties of consanguinity or friend¬ 
ship. 

The escape of Lot’s wife and daughters, on this disas¬ 
trous occasion, was an illustration of the promise which 
had but a short time before been made to Abraham, when 
he was permitted to commune with Jehovah respecting 
the destruction of this city. Having been informed of tlie 
divine determinations, Abraham, deeply affected with the 
condition of his wicked neighbours, but feeling a peculiar 
concern for his nephew, drew near with holy boldness to 
inquire whether the righteous and the wicked were to 
be involved in the same common catastrophe; and 
whether, if fifty righteous persons could be found, the 
city might not be spared ? To this he obtained full con¬ 
sent: upon which he ventured to limit the pious nura- 
berj for whose sake all the inhabitants should be spared 
to. forty-five—►then to forty—to thirty—to twenty—and 


H 2 


78 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


to ten ; “ And the Lord said, I will not destroy it for 
ten’s sake.”* 

Here it is observable, that the patriarch did not request 
the preservation of the wicked for their own sake, or be¬ 
cause of any supposed severity in the predicted punish¬ 
ment, but solely for the sake of the righteous who might 
be discovered in the place. Value your connexion, then, 
with the people of God. To be born of pious parents, 
or to be situated amidst religious advantages, is an un¬ 
speakable favour. The church of Christ, especially, is 
a privileged spot—there celestial mercy takes her favour¬ 
ite walks—thither she conveys her choicest blessings— 
and to that sacred enclosure from the world, she extends 
her most powerful protection. How many families, be¬ 
sides the house of Obededom, have been blessed, “ be¬ 
cause of the ark of God !”t 

The inspired history, in the next place, particularly 
points out the guilt of Lot’s wife. As soon as this 
favoured family had reached the suburbs, and at a mo¬ 
ment when the rising sun shed his unclouded radiance 
over the devoted scene, and, consequently, indicated no 
approaching storm, the mighty tragedy commenced. 
Down came the burning sulphureous deluge Years before 
upon Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim ; Christ, 1S97. 
which, mingling with the bituminous soil of the valley, 
cUid blazing with inconceivable intensity, spread sudden, 

awful, and universal desolation. From this horrible mo- 

• 

ment, the site of these ancient cities became converted 
into a lake, which, from its bituminous quality, is termed 
the lake Asphaltites, and sometimes the Dead Sea, froni 
the idea that no creature can exist in its waters.J 

s* Gen. xvlii, 23—33. f 2 Sam. vi. 12. 

t The ancient authors, Tacitus, Pliny, Diodorus Siculus, and others, fur* 
nish abundant testimony in undesigned confirmation of the scriptural ac¬ 
count. The following quotation is from Strabo: “ There are many indi¬ 
cations, that fire has been over this country ; for, about Masadr, they sho\y 
rough and scorched rocks and caverns, in many places eaten in ; and the 
earth reduced to ashes, and drops of pitch distilling from die rocks and hot 







79 


lot’s wife. 

During this miraculous tempest, the wife of Lot, who 
was now flying to Zoar, “ looked back from behind 
HIM and, in consequence, suffered an instantaneous 
judgment, which we shall presently have occasion to 
notice. 

And was this the whole amount of her criminality ? 
Was it a mere glance of the eye, for which she is become 
an object of execration, and a warning to all ages ? Was 
this the single action for which she suffered ?—Have we 
not been led to suppose, that apostacy is rather a course 
of conduct^ than the perpetration of any particular crime, 

streams, offensive afar off, and habitations overthrown ; which renders 
credible some reports among the inhabitants, that there were formerly 
thirteen cities on that spot, the principal of which was Sodom; so extensive, 
as to be sixty furlongs in circumference; but that by earthquakes, and by 
an eruption of fire, and by hot and bituminous waters, it became a lal<e as 
it now is; the rocks were consumed, some of the cities were swallowed up ; 
and others abandoned*by those of the inhabitants who were able to escape.” 
Lib. xvi. Tacitus states, that the traces of fire were visible in his time : 

* At no great distance are those fields which, as it is said, were formerly 
fruitful, and covered with great cities, till they were consumed by lightning ; 
the vestiges of which remain in the parched appearance of the country, 
which has lost its fertility.” Hist. lib-, v. 

A modern traveller, who was recently an eyewitness of the scene, is 
particularly entitled to be heard on this interesting subject, even at the risk 
of extending this note to a disproportionate length : “ The Dead Sea below, 
upon our left, appeared so near to us, that we thought we could have rode 
thither in a very short space of time. Stilt nearer stood a mountain upon 
its western shore, resembling in its form the cone of Vesuvius, and having 
also a crater upon its top, which was plainly discernible. The distance, 
however, is much greater than it appears to be ; the magnitude of the ob¬ 
jects beheld in this fine prospect, causing them to appear less remote than 
they really are. The atmosphere was remarkably clear and serene ; but 
we saw none of those clouds of smoke which, by some writers, are said to 
exhale from the surface of Lake Asphaltites, nor from any neighbouring 
mountain. Every thing about it was, in the highest degree, grand and 
awful. Its desolate, although majestic features, are well suited to the 
tales related concerning it by the inhabitants of the country, who all speak 
of it with terror, seeming to shrink from the narrative of its deceitful allure¬ 
ments and deadly influence. ‘ Beautiful fruit,’ say they, ‘ grows upon its 
shores, which is no sooner touched, than it becomes dust and bitter ashes.’ 
In addition to its physical horrors, the region around is said to be more pe¬ 
rilous, owing to the ferocious tribes wandering upon the shores of the lake, 
than any other part of the Holy Land.” Clarke’s Travels, part ii. sect, 
i.p. 614. 


80 


l-’EMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHy. 


however atrocious ? And yet does not the wife of Lot 
appear to have been punished as an apostate ? 

Beware of forming a hasty judgment, and recollect 
that, in some cases, a single action is an infallible criterion 
of a most impious character. It is the last in a series of 
crimes^ although, perhaps, the only discovered iniquity. 
The rest have been concealed by circumstances, or by 
artifice ; and, like the apex and point of a rock piercing 
the surface of the deep, which indicates its immense 
magnitude and elevation above the bottom of the ocean, 
one considerable act of baseness indicates the real exist¬ 
ence of an immense accumulation of secret iniquity. 
Such was the character of Judas^ and probably of Lot’s 
Tvife. 

The recorded action in question indicated, in fact, a 
very complicated crime. It was a direct disobedience to 
an express and solemn command ; and whether the com¬ 
mand respected a mere look, or a mighty undertaking, 
the principle which influenced the conduct was equally 
censurable. We must abstain from whatever is inter¬ 
dicted, whether it respect the tasting of fruit, as in the 
case of Eve ; or the looking back to relinquished posses¬ 
sions, as in the example of Lot’s wife. Unbelief was also 
a probable concomitant in this transgression. She might 
doubt the reality of the threatened destruction, or be 
influenced by a spirit of unhallowed curiosity : or, if she 
heard the descending tempest, some dread of being over¬ 
taken by it might induce her to look back. But, above 
all, our Lord, in commenting upon her conduct, intimates 
that her heart lingered after the possessions she had left, 
and her look implied a wish to return to their enjoy¬ 
ment.'^ 

The case of this woman is peculiarly affecting, from 
other considerations. It has been already stated, she had 
peculiar advantages, being the wife of a righteous man— 
she had thus far escaped the pollutions of Sodom, and 


* Luke xvii. 31, 32. 





lot’s wirE. 


81. 


avoided its destiny—she had obeyed the voice of the 
celestial messenger, and was led forth under a heavenly 
ministration—she was in the company of the pious—par¬ 
ticipated the deliverance of her husband, and was on the 
point of having completely escaped—Sodom was left be¬ 
hind—Zoar was at hand—the raging storm was desolating 
the devoted cities, while the bright sun of the morning- 
lighted the fugitives on their way. Before, all was smi¬ 
ling ! Behind, all was tempestuous !—Salvation if they 
persevered ! Perdition if they retreated, or looked back ! 
—It is written in the book of God—may it be written 
indelibly on every heart—“ If any man draw back, my 
soul shall have no pleasure in him.”* 

It will conduce to the purposes of instruction, if we 
generalize this subject, by briefly stating a few of the 
most usual causes of apostacy from God ; some of Avhich 
are strictly applicable to the history of Lot’s wife. 

Sometimes it originates in fear: and though every 
period could furnish instances, we must expect to find 
them principally in times of persecution. Many, under 
the awful apprehension of excruciating torments, and 
some even from very inferior reasons of alarm, have 
signed their recantation of principles which they had 
long professed to venerate ; but few have imitated the 
the noble heroism of a Cranmer, who publicly denounced 
his own recantation, and resolutely thrust the hand that 
signed it first into the fire, on the day of his martyrdom, 
calling it “ this unworthy right hand !” 

But in all ages a love of the world may be justly consi¬ 
dered as a much more prevalent occasion of apostacy 
than fear. Demas, and the wife of Lot, live again in a 
thousand wretched examples. It may be acknowledged 
difficult to point out in all cases with perfect exactitude, 
the precise line of demarkation between a proper and an 
inordinate pursuit of worldly good, and thus to detect the 
first commencement of an avaricious temper, the embryo 


^ Iteb, X. 28, 


82 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

germ of an apostate disposition ; but at least no difficulty 
should remain with the individual himself in deciding upon 
his own actual state, even though he be not guilty of fla¬ 
grant immoralities, if conscious that his “ heart is in his 
covetousness”—if the love of gain have usurped the do¬ 
minion of his soul, and dethroned the love of God—if he 
gladly embrace every opportunity of promoting his 
worldly interest, and obey but slowly and reluctantly the 
calls of duty. Let him apprehend that he is drifting 
along to ruin—let him fear, and fear justly, that the plea¬ 
sant gale of success to which he has expanded all his 
powers, is only bearing him upon the rocks of eternal 
destruction. Be not deceived, though they appear 
covered with flowers of surpassing beauty, and exquisite 
fragrance. “ Love not the world, neither the things that 
are in the world. If any man love the world, the love 
of the Father is not in him.”^ 

Eevity of mind is a frequent occasion of apostacy. It 
predisposes the unhappy individual to the ruinous influ¬ 
ence of vicious society and injurious publications. These, 
most fatally adapted to their purpose, soon induce the 
unwary to neglect, and finally to despise all religious in* 
stitutions. The apostle Paul intimates that some are 
“ tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of 
doctrine,” like clouds which, possessing no solidity, are 
driven in every direction through the atmosphere. 
Persons of this description are easily persuaded by a 
plausible reasoner, that his opinions are true, and with 
equal facility submit to the next artful sophist, who avows 
even contrary sentiments. The natural effect of this in¬ 
constancy will be a disregard of all truth, and a ready 
admission of every sceptical principle. When the mind 
is in such a state of fluctuation and uncertainty, or rather 
the willing slave of every tyrant, it is well prepared for 
vice : it will admit a criminal thought, as well as a senti¬ 
mental error, and the same plausibility which could suc- 


^ 1 John ii. 15. 


lot’s wife. 


^3 


cesstully insinuate a sceptical principle, can excite to an 
immoral practice. In the circles of gay dissipation, every 
remaining scruple is easily dissipated ; the poison of 
“ evil communications” 'is voraciously swallowed, and 
“ good morals are corrupted.” 

Such a disposition is closely allied to pride^ which often 
“ goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a 
fall.” Praised by their companions as persons of dis¬ 
tinguished genius, or admired for a natural wit, they sa¬ 
crifice every thing to flattery. They have been stimu¬ 
lated to believe that the possession of religion is a deci¬ 
sive proof of intellectual inferiority, or at least, that a 
punctilious observance of its practices, or a fervent at¬ 
tachment to its peculiar doctrines, is enthusiastic. They 
listen to the artful reducer, who assures them that their 
principles are too evidently drawn from the lessons of 
the nursery, and that it is time to shake off—their own 
penetration, indeed, will lead them to discard—the mere 
prejudices of an illiberal education. It is not improba¬ 
ble they may meet with some advocate of deistical prin¬ 
ciples or libertine conduct, who zealously instils into 
them the maxim of the well-known Earl of Shaftesbury, 
that “ whoever is searching for truth, should examine if 
they cannot find out something that may be justly laughed 
at;” and if they can be persuaded as he was, “ not to 
think on the subject of religion, without endeavouring to 
put himself in as good a humour as possible,” it is not 
unlikely they may adopt what he calls a natural suspicion, 
that “ the holy records themselves were no other than 
the pure invention and artificial compliment of an inter¬ 
ested party, in behalf of the richest corporation and 
most profitable monopoly which could be erected in the 
world.” 

In the scriptural statement of the fall of man, it ap¬ 
pears that pride and sensuality were the first dispositions 
which polluted the human mind in paradise, and their 
contaminating influence has descended upon the whole 
human race. From these two springs the torrent of 


84 


female scripture biography. 


corruption originated, and has never ceased to pursue its 
course and widen its channel through the successive ages a 
of time. “ When the woman saw that the tree was 
good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a 
tree to be desired to make one w’ise, she took of the fruit 
thereof, and did eat; and gave also unto her husband 
with her, and he did eat.”* 

The DOOM of Lot’s wife is one of the most memorable i 
in the records of either profane or sacred history. It is ^ 
said, that “ she became a pillar of salt,” or a nitro- 
sulphureous pillar ; the singularity and severity of her 
punishment being thus proportioned to the atrocity of 
her crime. When we recollect that Jehovah afterward 
proclaimed himself to Moses as “ the Lord, the Lord 
God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant 
in goodness and truth ; keeping mercy for thousands, 
forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin ;” that 
lie is frequently celebrated by the inspired writers, as 

ready to pardon, slow to anger, of great kindness, 
plenteous in mercy, full of compassion ;”1 that he is 
represented by the apostle John as “ love itselfand 
that infinite benignity is essential to his nature, and cha¬ 
racteristic of his dispensations,—we cannot but tremble 
at the sight of such a visitation. 

Inexpressibly awful as the overthrow of Sodom, 
Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim appears, there is an 
additional feature of horror in the destruction of this wo¬ 
man. Our imagination is bewildered amidst the general 
ruin of multitudes ; while, by the contemplation of an in¬ 
dividual instance, appointed to a separate and peculiar 
punishment, we become excited to deeper feeling. From 
the very constitution of our nature, we view' the doom 
of numbers with a diminished impression ; Yve have not 
time to select and meditate upon the peculiarities of in¬ 
dividual agonies, and regard them only in one vast hete- 

* Gen. iii. 6. 

f Exod. xxxiv. 6. Nehem. ix. 17. Ps. ciii. 8. cxlv. 8. Comp. Joel 
p 'I 13. Jon. iv. 2. Nahum i. 3. t 1 John iv. 8 


lot’s wife. 


«5 

rogeneous mass, consigned to one common portion of 
suffering: but the emotion is widely different, and meal- 
culably more poignant, when a solitary example is pre¬ 
sented to us, alike distinguished for guilt and for punish¬ 
ment. In the present case too, the degree of sensibility 
excited into action is necessarily more acute, from the 
very circumstance forbidding us to pity, and demanding 
an unmingled and overwhelming sense of omnipotent 
justice. Nor is this a censurable, but a necessary feeling, 
indicative of a proper coincidence of mind with the per¬ 
fect will of Heaven : it is allied to the sentiments attri¬ 
buted to purer spirits, who, when they witness the seven 
angels distributing the seven last plagues in which is 
filled up the wrath of God, are represented as standing 
on the sea of glass, having the harps of God—•“ And 
They sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and 
the song of the Lamb, saying, great and marvellous are 
thy works. Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy 
ways, thoa King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, 
O Lord, and glorify thy name ? for thou only art holy, for 
all nations shall come and worship before thee : for thy 
JUDGMENTS are made manifest.”* In the same spirit, 
the heavens, the holy apostles and prophets, are called 
upon to rejoice over Babylon in the hour of her destruc¬ 
tion ; and a great voice of much people is heard in hea¬ 
ven, saying “ Alleluia; salvation and glory, and honour, 
and power, unto the Lord our God; for true and righte¬ 
ous are his judgments.”— “ And again they said. Alleluia. 
And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.”! 

The justice of God displayed even in the awful form 
which it assumes in the punishment of the wife of Lot, 
is, in fact, only a modification of goodness, and therefore 
a proper reason both for angelic and human celebration. 
The love of order is no less essential to a holy being 
than the love of mercy ; and therefore it is compatible 
with the most perfect goodness, in its association with 

* Rev. XV, 1—4. t Key. xviii. 20. xix. 1—3. 

VoL. I. * 


06 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BlOGRAPHV. 

justice, to punish transgressors either on their own ac¬ 
count or for the sake of others—either for the purpose 
of individual correction or of general warning. It would 
be a far less display of goodness to suffer men to perse¬ 
vere in sin without any control, than to arrest them by 
some powerful stroke. In the former case, they not 
only plunge into ruin themselves, but draw others, by 
their fatal and malignant attraction, into perdition : in the 
latter, a salutary precaution is given to such as lie within 
the reach of their mischievous influence. Whatever has a 
tendency to prevent sin is a benevolent exercise of power; 
because sin is the source of individual and universal 
misery: if it had never entered into this world, man 
would still have been happy ; and when, in the merciful 
appointments of heaven, the guilt which now stains the 
moral creation shall be purified away by the efficacy of 
the blood of Christ, paradise will be restored, and the 
long-removed tabernacle of God again descend to be with 
men. To this glorious consummation of human felicity 
all the dispensations of Providence point; and to pro¬ 
duce it, all his judgments are inflicted : the promises and 
the threatenings have each a similar design, and will 
ultimately promote the same general object. The tem¬ 
pest and the tornado have their peculiar uses, as well 
as the small rain that descends upon the tender herb. 
“ Mercy and truth meet together—righteousness and 
peace kiss each other. 

In turning our eyes then towards the plain of Sodom, 
we must combine a sentiment of holy reverence with 
trembling horror. The destiny of the atrocious sinner 
was intended to produce salutary apprehensions in her 
surviving relatives, and in all her posterity. Upon that 
accursed plain Eternal Justice erected a monument of 
infinite displeasure ; but the hand which raised the pillar 
of salt, at the same time inscribed upon it, in characters 
too large and legible to be mistaken, “ Fear God, and 
KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.” 


* Ps. x::xv. 10. 


lot’s wife. 


87 

The terrific nature of this judgment was enhanced by 
the instantaneous manner in which it occurred. No 
sooner did the wife of Lot look back than she was con¬ 
verted into a pillar of salt ^—this moment in the midst of 
life, and apparently escaping from the scene of danger— 
the next, a monument of wrath ! What a transition from 
happiness to misery! What a descent from the summit of 
hope to the depths of despair! Mercy had almost con¬ 
ducted her to Zoar—Guilt transported her to the abyss 
of wo! She had even tasted the cup of blessing; but^ 
dashing it from her lips in the spirit of daring rebellion, 
she was made to drink “ the wine-cup of fury.”t 

It elucidates the divine condescension and forbearance, 
when the wicked, instead of being withered at a touch, 
are allowed time for reflection. The ordinary dispensa¬ 
tions of Providence are characterized by a merciful tar¬ 
diness : the daring transgressor is addressed by reiterated 
•appeals, and perhaps placed under a course of moral 
discipline: he is not smit by the thunder, or blasted 
by the lightning; but a series of smaller precursory 
punishments precedes a great catastrophe : his way is 
hedged up; reproofs, remonstrances, losses, afflictions, 
bereavements, constitute so many obstructions thrown 
across the path to perdition; and if he perish, it is 
necessary to force his way through them with a daring 

* The design of this work being rather practical than critical, the an. 
Ihor conceives it generally proper to avoid subjects of doubtful disputation; 
and rather, in particular cases, to give the result of his inquiries, than to 
detail the process by which it has been obtained. On this account, he has 
forborne to introduce the dift’erent notions that have prevailed among the 
learned respecting the real nature of the punishment inflicted upon the wife 
of Lot, but has simply stated what is the most common, and, uj)Qn the 
whole, the most satisfactory opinion. It seems conformable to the words 
of the historian to suppose a real conversion into a pillar of salt, and not 
that Lot’s wife was merely smitten dead upon the spot. If further infor- 
.niation be wished, the reader is particularly referred to a French work of 
well-merited celebrit}^ and which contains on this and many subjects of 
biblical criticism, much valuable and curious information— Saurin Di.^ 
cours historiques, critiques, theologiques, et moraux, sur les Evenemens 
les plus mem9rables du Vieux et du Nouveau Testament. Tom. i. 

•j- Jefiin, XXV. 1 5, 


^8 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

and infatuated heroism : voices from heaven and earth 
precede the infliction of merited vengeance, saying with 
toud and harmonious exclamations, “ Let the wicked 
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts f 
and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have 
mercy upon him ; and to our God, for he will abundantly 
pardon.”* 

But in the present melancholy instance, the Wife of 
Lot was cut ofl* as in a moment: she was ripe for the 
sickle, and justice delayed not to gather her into the 
storehouse of wrath; she cumbered the ground by her 
impieties, and w^as worthy of no additional cultivation. 
Here we behold an awful specimen of the obstinacy of 
sinners, the efi’ect of disobedience, and the determination 
of God, in a visible and striking manner, to vindicate his 
holy name. 

Reader ! flatter not yourself that the circumstance of 
having hitherto escaped remarkable judgment is any 
real indemnification against future punishment: do not 
imagine that the supreme God is unobservant, because 
he is not vindictive ; that it is possible to elude his 
eye, because you have not yet been slain by his sword. 
The delay, which is intended as a benefit, may, and often 
does, by perversion, aggravate the sinner’s doom: and 
indeed it is one of the most lamentable proofs of human 
degeneracy, that the very circumstance in which the 
goodness of God is singularly apparent, and which ought 
to lead to repentance, is made the occasion of more atro-^^ 
cious crime and more resolute perseverance. 

But delay is no evidence of indilference ; and if justice 
have hitherto slept, it is to be apprehended it will rise 
with recruited vigour. While you go on still in your 
trespasses, be assured the glittering sword is drawing 

from its scabbard—it is even whetting to the final 
stroke! 


*■ Is. Iv, 7. 








REBEKAH. 

CHAPTER V.—SECTION I. 


Progress of time—patriarchal mode of living—Abraham’s solicitude 
respecting the settlement of his son—sends his servant to procure 
him a wife—his arrival in the vicinity of Nahor—his meeting with 
Rebekah—her behaviour, and their conversation—the good quali¬ 
ties already discoverable in Rebekah, which render her worthy of 
imitation—her industrious and domesticated habits—unaffected sim¬ 
plicity—modesty—courtesy—humanity. 

Kapid, irresistible, and certain is the progress of 
time. The few incidents of which human life consists 
transpire in quick succession; the few years of which 
it is composed, even in cases of the greatest longevity, 
soon elapse : the cradle and the grave seem placed 
very near each other ; and scarcely does the voice of 
congratulation cease at our birth, before it is succeeded 
by the lamentations of sorrow at our funeral. 

There is a wide difference, however, in the actual 
impression, between passing through the details of ex^ 
istence in daily and hourly engagements, which, from 
their variety, produce an illusion of slowness and a 
vague idea of almost interminable continuance, and 
looking at expended years after their termination^ or 
at successive lives in the perspective of history. In 
the latter case, events appear crowded together, the 
intervening spaces are not distinctly perceptible, and 
the distance is diminished. If the life of an Abraham, 
an Isaac, or a Jacob, had been presented to us in 
the form of a daily journal of occurrences, how easily 
might it have been expanded into a volume equal in 
dimensions to the whole inspired record; and how 
distant would each eventful period of their respective 
lives have appeared 1 how vast would have seemed 
the space between them if minuter circumstances had 
been formally detailed in the order of months, and 


90 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


days, and hours! Even a single year assumes a con¬ 
siderable magnitude when viewed as three hundred and 
sixty-five days, each day and night as four-and-twenty 
hours, each hour as sixty successive minutes, and each 
minute or hour as occupied with its appropriate and 
necessary engagements : but when we ascend that ele¬ 
vated spot to which history conducts us, and look back 
upon the long track of time, and through the course 
of revolving centuries, we reflect at once upon those 
images of Scripture with which our imagination has 
been so often arrested, and see that the motion of the 
"‘weaver’s shuttle” scarcely represents the “ swiftness” 
of our days ; the passing shadows that fly across the 
plain imperfectly display the nothingness of fleeting 
years ; “ the little time” in which the “ vapor appear- 
eth” is but faintly expressive of the manner in which 
life “ vanisheth away.” It is almost impossible to ob¬ 
serve the small number of pages which relate all that 
is really worth recording, of hundreds, and even thou¬ 
sands of years, without being deeply affected. A few 
chapters suffice to state the principal circumstances 
relating to the creation, destruction, and renewal of 
the world ; and a single book contains, in addition to 
this information, the lives of patriarchs the most dis¬ 
tinguished, and the account of ages the most eventful 
and extraordinary. Solemn consideration—“ one gene-^ 
ration passeth away, and another cometh!”* 

We have been led into these reflections chiefly by 
observing how rapidly the inspired writer passes from 
one event to another in the life of Abraham, though 
many years intervened ; and especially by noticing the 
immediate connexion in which the death and burial 
of Sarah are placed with the marriage of Isaac: so 
nearly allied, so few are the intermediate steps be¬ 
tween the most joyful and the most painful events of 
human existence! A marriage to-day—a funeral to¬ 
morrow.’ This hour congratulated—the next lamented i 

* Eccles. K 4s 


REBEKAH. 


‘'Great and marvellous are thy works, O Lord God 
Almighty : just and true are thy ways, thou King of 
saints.”* 

The family histories of the patriarchs are rendered 
peculiarly attractive by the simplicity of their manners, 
and their pastoral mode of living. We are transported 
into ages, around which antiquity throws a powerful 
charm, and revelation an extraordinary lustre. What 
are scenes of blood, and acclamations of triumph, in 
comparison with the private history of a man of peace, 
and a man of piety ? what are heroic deeds to vir¬ 
tuous achievements ? and what the most splendid page 
of secular history to the beautiful and interesting ac¬ 
count of the various transactions relating to the union 
of Isaac and Rebekah ? 

These are so intimately blended together, that the 
present chapter must embrace at least a brief notice 
of them, in order to form an adequate idea of the 
heroine of this inimitable Scripture narrative. 

Abraham had now attained the venerable Years before 
age of one hundred and forty years ; his Christ, 1856. 
beloved Sarah was no more ; and after weeping over 
her grave, and negociating for the entire possession 
of the field of Ephron in Machpelah, where she was 
interred, as a family burying-place, his thoughts were 
forcibly attracted towards the day of his own disso¬ 
lution. “ The Lord had blessed him in all things,”! 
but his afiections were detached from earthly posses¬ 
sions, and permanently fixed upon his unchangeable 
inheritance in the skies. He “ desired a better coun¬ 
try, that is a heavenly; wherefore God was not 
ashamed to be called his God, for he had prepared 
for him a city.”| 

Previous to his departure, Abraham felt solicitous 
respecting the adjustment of his temporal affairs, and 
particularly the settlement and marriage of his beloved 
son. Actuated not merely by the common anxiety of ^ 

^ Gen. xxiv. 1. t Heb. 16. 


• Rev. XV. 3. 


92 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHlf. 


parent, who knows that the credit and happiness of his 
family depends on the propriety of the connexion which 
he may form; but contemplating with the eye of faith 
his future posterity, the patriarch called his eldest 
and confidential servant. This was Eliezer of Da¬ 
mascus, the steward of his house ; and, in case of 
his death, the manager of his affairs.* He was, un¬ 
questionably, under that divine direction, which in this 
as in every other concern of life, he anxiously sought. 
It is pleasing to witness the result which was so evi¬ 
dently connected with the prudence and piety of his 
proceedings, and which points us to the never-failing 
promise, “ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he 
,shall direct thy paths.”! Isaac is not, indeed, distinctly 
mentioned, but he was no stranger to prayer ; and, 
having attained his fortieth year, he had doubtless felt 
a laudable anxiety to enter into the honourable state 
of matrimony, expressed his desires to God, and, after 
concerting the proper measures with his father, patiently 
waited the will of Providence. 

Abraham explained his view's to Eliezer, and exacted 
a solemn oath respecting the punctual fulfilment of his 
commission, in which some of the characteristic principles 
of this illustrious saint were conspicuous. In the selec¬ 
tion of a wife for his son, he seems uninfluenced by 
worldly policy. He wishes to connect him with virtue 
rather than wealth ; knowing that the latter is not only 
uncertain, but unnecessary to the purposes of real hap¬ 
piness. 

It has been often said, there are “ few happy matches 
but the cause of this fact is seldom traced or regarded. 
If our calculations be founded solely upon a reference to 
temporal interests, if the importance of a connexion be 
measured merely by the probable amount of gold it may 
produpe, or the degree of worldly influence it is likely 
to confer, we may add another item to the sum of proba¬ 
bilities—that of disappointment. The inconsistencies into 

^ Gen, XV. 2. f Prov. iii. 


REBEKaH. 


93 


which this strange match-making infatuation has betrayed 
some of the greatest and best of men, is truly deplorable ; 
and if it do not incur immediate calamity, it certainly ex¬ 
cites the divine displeasure. God requires to be honoured 
in this, no less than in every other transaction. 

Abraham also evinced his characteristic aversion ol 
idolatry. He desired his servant not to seek a wife for 
Isaac in Chaldea, but to proceed to Haran in Mesopota¬ 
mia, to the house, of Nahor, his brother. He was par¬ 
ticular in requiring him to swear by the Lord, the God of 
heaven and the God of the earth, that he would not take 
his son a wife of the daughters of the Canaanites, among 
whom he resided. The danger of his posterity becom¬ 
ing blended with idolaters, and contracting their habits, 
induced him to'use this solemn precaution ; although his 
faith realized the peopling of this country, by his de¬ 
scendants. His servant put his hand upon his thigh, in 
confirmation of the agreemBnt,’^ and immediately pre¬ 
pared for his journey. The distubr.p from Hebron, the 
present residence of Abraham, to Haran, was about seven¬ 
teen days’ journey ; and the servant must have travelled 
about four hundred and sixty miles. 

Servants may learn, from this example, the kind of 
conduct which adorns their station. They should be 
punctual in the discharge of their duties, and readily com¬ 
ply with the directions they receive. Eliezer felt him¬ 
self bound to comply with his master’s injunctions, and 
not only proceeded on his distant expedition without re¬ 
luctance and murmuring, but with that despatch which 
proves his whole heart was engaged in his duty. If any 
should plead, that it was, no doubt, a privilege to have 
such a master, and any one would have been happy in 
such a situation, let them be reminded that this is a very 

* This appears to have been the ancient mode of concluding an agree¬ 
ment, or solemn covenant. Josephus says, that if two persons bound them¬ 
selves mutually by an oath, they put their hand upon each other’s thigh, 
Grotius states, that anciently they wore the sword upon the thigh, so that 
to swear by putting the hand upon the thigh, was intimating, “ I am willing 
fo be pierced through by this sword if I break my promise,” 


94 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

questionable position ; for it is common for servants to 
disregard the authority, or undervalue the character of 
the best masters and mistresses ; but their duty is not to 
be measured by the virtue or even the kindness, of their 
domestic superiors, the apostle expressly ordaining obe¬ 
dience “ not only to the good and gentle, but also to the 
fro ward.”* 

Upon Eliezer’s arrival in the vicinity of the city of 
Nahor, he made his camels kneel down by a well, intend¬ 
ing to supply them as soon as possible with water. The 
whole retinue was, no doubt, sufficiently weary with the 
journey. It was evening, and about the customary hour 
when the women of the country c.ame out to fetch a 
supply of water. This faithful and pious servant was 
aware of this circumstance, but, previous to the arrival 
of any of these strangers, he betook himself to solemn 
and effectual prayer. His words are remarkable : “ O 
Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thcc send me 
good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master 
Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the wfell of water, 
and the daughters of the men of the city come out to 
draw water : and let it come to pass, that the damsel to 
whom I shall say. Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that 
I may drink ; and she shall say. Drink, and I will give 
thy camels drink also ; let the same be she that thou hast 
appointed for thy servant Isaac ; and thereby shall I know 
that thou hast showed kindness unto my master !” 

While the words of supplication were still upon the 
tongue of this worthy servant, behold a damsel of singu¬ 
lar beauty and attraction approaches the well! It is, in 
fact, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, 
the wife of Nahor; and whom an invisible but all-wise 
Providence had sent at this precise moment, and by this 
happy concurrence of circumstances, introduced to the 
travelling stranger. Beautiful, young, and artless ; bear¬ 
ing a pitcher upon her shoulder, which she hastened to 
the well to fill for the necessary supply of the family ; we 

* 1 Pet. ii. 18. 


REBEKAH. 


9S 

cannot imagine a more finished picture of loveliness, or 
one to which the Miltonian description of Eve, as first 
beheld her admiring partner, is more justly applicable-: 


“ Adorn’d 

With what all earth or heaven could bestow 
To make her amiable; on she came 
Led by her heav’nly Maker, though unseen. 

Grace was in all her steps, heav’n in her eye. 

In every gesture dignity and love.” 

She speedily descended to the reservoir of water, and 
filled her pitcher.* The servant was attracted by her 
remarkable appearance, for she seemed “ like the lily 
among thorns but, at present, remained silent. Intent 
upon her proper business, she did not indulge an idle cu¬ 
riosity, and waste her time, by stopping to make inquiries 
respecting the stranger, and his train of camels, which 
were reclining near the well; nor would she have been 
detained a moment, had not a motive of kindness prompt¬ 
ed her to listen to his solicitations for help. He, at length, 
hastened to meet her, and requested to drink a little of 
the water with which she had just replenished her 
pitcher. This was granted with the utmost readiness ; 
she let down thOj vessel from her shoulder, and desired 
him to take whatever he pleased. After this, she kindly 
offered to supply all his train of camels ; and, regardless 
of the trouble which such officious hospitality occasioned, 
she did not even wait for a reply, but ran to fill the 
trough, by repeated draughts of water. 

* “ Sir J. Chardin observed this dift'ererice in the East between wells of 
living water, and i-eservoirs of rain water; that these last have frequently, 
especially in the Indies, a flight of steps down into the water, that as the 
water diminishes, people may still take it up with their hands, whereas he 
hardly ever observed a well furnished with tiiose steps through all the East. 
He concludes from this circumstance, that the place from whence Rebekah 
took up water was a reservoir of rain water. This is the account that he 
givesus in his sixth MS. volume, and it explains very clearly what is meant 
by Rebekah’s going dmm to the well, Gen. xxiv. 16.” Hxhmbh’b Obser¬ 
vations, vol. ii. p. 184,185, note. 



96 FEMALE SGRH^TURE BIOGRAPHY. 

All this time, the man, who, by the way might have 
rendered this lovely young woman some assistance, stood 
gazing in silent asfoLhment. There was so striking a 
coincidence between her conduct, and the wishes he had 
been expressing, that he could not help connecting them 
together. “ Wondering at her, he held his peace, to wit 
whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or 
not.” It seems strange that he should have felt even a 
momentary hesitation upon the subject, but it exemplifies 
the frequent state of our minds respecting anticipated 
blessings. We seek them with an importunity which pro¬ 
cures their communication, but, w'hen actually bestowed, 
we scarcely believe them to be in our possession, and are 
too reluctant to recognize the divine bounty. But what 
has been sought with eagerness ought to be acknowledged 
with promptitude. 

As soon as the camels had been supplied, the good man 
presented Rebekah with a suitable token of his thank¬ 
fulness. It consisted of a golden ear-ring, of half a 
shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands, of ten 
shekels weight of gold. These were, probably, the 
costly ornaments which Abraham had commissioned his 
servant to bestow upon the future wife of his son; and 
which, as he had now seen the accomplishment of his 
prayer, he no longer hesitated to give this interesting 
young woman. 

Availing himself of the present favourable opportunity 
of entering into some conversation with her, he inquired 
whose daughter she might be, and whether she thought 
her father could afford him and his attendants, and camels, 
sufficient accommodation ? In the East this was so com¬ 
mon an act of hospitality, that the question did not ap¬ 
pear strange, or the request obtrusive. It was, besides, 
dictated by a strong suspicion, if not a full assurance, that 
he had attained the object of his journey. She gave a 
prompt and kind answer : “ I am the daughter of Bethuel, 
the son of \Iilcah, which she bare unto Nahor. She 
said, moreover, unto him, we have both straw and pro- 


HEBEKAU. 


97 


vender enough, and room to lodge in.” The man bowed 
in thankfulness to her, but in more expressive praise and 
gratitude to God. His heart was full, and his tongue could 
no longer remain silent. “Blessed,” said he, “be the 
Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left des¬ 
titute my master of his mercy and his truth. I, being in 
the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s 
brethren.” This was the language of faith —he recog¬ 
nizes the divine “ mercy and truth” which had pro¬ 
mised to multiply and extend the family of Abraham. It 
was the voice of gratitude —for he remembers the way 
in which God had conducted him, and sees the concur¬ 
rence of Providence in all that had transpired. It con¬ 
tained also a delicate intimation to the young woman, not 
only that he came from her venerable relative, but had 
some important business with her family. Rebekah made 
all possible haste back, and soon ciiv^ulated through the 
family the joyful intelligence of this arrival. 

In reviewing what has been hitherto related of this 
charming story, and the circumstances of the first inter¬ 
view between the servant of Abraham and the future 
wife of Isaac, we beg to present-to our young female read¬ 
ers, a more distinct statement and recommendation of 
the good qualities discoverable in Rebekah. 

1. Observe her industrious and domesticated habits. 
She was high-born, and had great connexions—she pos¬ 
sessed a commanding beauty of person and fascination of 
manners—but yet she did not indulge in indolence, or in 
frivolous pursuits. At that period luxury and refine¬ 
ment had not corrupted simplicity of manners, the affairs 
of a family were usually under the more direct inspec¬ 
tion and management of its principal members, and cus¬ 
tom did not prescribe an avoidance of all careful, nor 
even of all laborious, interference in domestic concerns. 
But there was a cheerfulness and an assiduity in the 
whole deportment of Rebekah, that proved it not mere¬ 
ly custom, but a sense of duty that influenced her. She 
was attentive to her proper business, neither omitting 
VoL. I. K 


98 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


nor performing it negligently. It is very unbecoming to 
see young persons resisting the wishes of their kind pa¬ 
rents, who, having had a better experience than them¬ 
selves, are desirous of training them to domestic useful¬ 
ness. Ill do they requite parental affection, which has 
devoted, perhaps, a considerable portion of hard-earned 
profits to their education in useful branches of knowledge, 
or to their acquirement of polite accomplishments : by 
refusing to assist in family arrangements, or to submit 
to that wise after-discipline, by which they may be pre¬ 
pared to occupy important situations in future life. It is 
not the proper business of a woman to shinCy to court ad¬ 
miration, or to display superficial acquirements ; nor, 
on the other hand, does either reason or religion re¬ 
duce her to the inferior situation of a domestic drudge ; 
but her education is ill bestowed, and perversely misap¬ 
plied, if it unfit her for the appropriate duties of her sta¬ 
tion, if it make her proud and petulant, if it raise her 
above her sphere, and if it indispose her to a proper 
“ care for the things of the world, how she may please 
her husband.”* 

In modern times it would be unjust to impute the 
entire blame to the young women themselves; much 
is attributable to the system which has been adopted in 
their education. Nothing, indeed can justify, and few 
things can be said in extenuation of the guilt of an arro¬ 
gant disposition, unyielding to the wishes of tender, 
though perhaps less educated parents; but it is to be re¬ 
gretted, that the useful is often fiir less regarded in pub¬ 
lic seminaries than the ornamental; and that, while the 
exterior is polished, the mind remains comparatively un¬ 
cultivated. We shall not be understood to require a to¬ 
tal exclusion of elegant instruction, or polite accomplish¬ 
ments ; but let the understanding be well directed, the 
memory amply stored, the judgment constantly exer¬ 
cised, the hands usefully employed, the temper carefully 


* 1 Cor. vii. 34. 





REBEKAH. 


99 


watched and disciplined—above all, let religion and the 
fear of God be the basis of the whole fabric, that “ our 
daughters may be as corner-stones, polished after the 
similitude of a palace.”*—By daughters families are 
united and connected to their mutual strength, as the 
parts of a building are by the corner-stones ; and when 
they are graceful and beautiful, both in body and mind^ 
they are then polished after the similitude of a nice and 
curious structure. When we see our daughters well es¬ 
tablished, and stayed with wisdom and discretion, as cor¬ 
ner-stones are fastened in the building ; when we see 
them by faith united to Christ as the chief corner-stone, 
adorned with the graces of God’s Spirit, which are the 
polishing of that which is naturally rough, and become 
women professing godliness ; when we see them purified 
and consecrated to God as living temples^ we think our¬ 
selves happy in them.”t 

2. We see in Rebekah’s interview with the servant of 
Abraham, a pattern of unaffected simplicity. It is this 
which throws an inexpressible charm over the narrative. 
We see nothing but nature ; not a particle of false deli¬ 
cacy or finesse. There is no study, no aim to please, 
no acting a part to court esteem, no suspicions about 
her, and no concealments ; but, in every word and mo¬ 
tion, the most perfect artlessness. “ When unadorned” 
she approaches the well to draw the evening supply of 
water she seems “ adorned the most.” 

Let young Ladies beware of affectation It is one of 
the most disgusting qualities that can attach to the female 
character. It will never win esteem, but will excite 
ridicule. There is reason to believe that it is frequent¬ 
ly produced in a gradual and almost imperceptible man¬ 
ner, but it takes the deeper root, and extends the wider 
influence in consequence of a slow growth. It is not always 
easy to make the individual herself sensible of possessing 
it, but the surest way of preventing its baneful influence, 


* P§. cxiiv. 12. f Henry io loc. 


100 , FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

is to guard against whatever has a tendency to produce 
it. Be yourself—simple and natural. The art of plea¬ 
sing is—to please without art. Aim not to shine in bor¬ 
rowed feathers, or to acquire the peculiarities of another, 
especially when they are obviously incongruous with your 
own native character ; and avoid thinking of yourself as of 
a person of great consequence in every circle, for this is 
a most infallible means of really becoming of no conse¬ 
quence at all. 

The only sufficient security against affectation of eve¬ 
ry kind, is Christian humility. An inspired writer ad^ 
monishes us to be clothed with it; and, where this is 
wanting, every attempt to conceal deformities of cha¬ 
racter will resemble only the thinnest veil, which may 
be seen through by the most careless observer. This 
recommendation may possibly appear to some rather 
antiquated and obsolete ; we shall, nevertheless, persist 
in it, as of essential importance ; and support it by 
quoting the reference of the apostle to him who has 
best exemplified the principle, and whose Spirit alone 
can effectually impress it upon the heart : “ Let nothing 
be done through strife or vain glory but in lowliness of 
mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 
Look not every man on his own things, but every man 
also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you 
which was also in Christ Jesus ; who, being in the form 
of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God ; 
but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him 
the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of 
men ; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled 
himself and became obedient unto death, even the death 
of the cross.”* 

3* The modesty of Rebekah was conspicuous. Vain 
is the effort to obtain admiration, without this quality. 
Confining the term to the general behaviour of females in 
society, which is its most common application, it may be 


^ Philip, ii. 3—8. 






REBEKAH. 


lOi 

considered as opposed to obtrusiveness, and as contradis¬ 
tinguished from bashfulness. Rebekah waited till the 
servant of Abraham addressed her, before she paid any 
attention to him ; and when he put the questions which 
have been related, she readily gave him an answer. 

Forwardness is so unbecoming the female character, 
so opposite to all real delicacy of mind, that no inter¬ 
mixture of other qualities can render it tolerable. If it 
be associated with rare and brilliant powers, or very 
eminent acquirements, it is calculated to excite envy 
and hatred, because it never fails to produce an over¬ 
bearing conduct. But whatever another’s consciousness 
of mental inferiority may be, this unhallowed temper 
will produce determined resistance. The very worm 
that crawls upon the earth will resent the giant’s tread. 
If, on the contrary, it be united to shallowness of capa¬ 
city, it will render its unhappy possessor utterly con¬ 
temptible notwithstanding other exterior attractions 
which might otherwise command attention. It is, in this 
case, the effect of egregious ignorance; and so far from 
extorting respect, it only serves to expose that imbecili¬ 
ty, which, but for this strange mode of attempt at conceal¬ 
ment, might have remained, in a considerable measure, 
undetected. 

Genuine modesty is also distinguishable from extreme 
bashfulness. As the usages of civilized society do, by no 
means, banish females from social intercourse, it is requi¬ 
site in avoiding forwardness to retain a certain degree of 
self-possession. Boldness and excessive timidity are the 
two extremes to be avoided. The latter is irksome, both 
to the individual herself, and to others with whom she 
may be called to associate. It produces an unnatural 
character, and, perhaps, may be classed with affectation. 
It is to be feared, that many who blush at the merest 
trifles, and are confounded at maintaining the least inter¬ 
change of sentiment, are too little ashamed of sin, and too 
unacquainted with the state of their own hearts. The 
young need not be mortified at any deformity but vice, 


102 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


nor afraid even of confessing ignorance, or making inqui¬ 
ries, so long as they show a proper solicitude for improve¬ 
ment. It is, in fact, a consciousness of ignorance that 
leads to the acquisition of knowledge. It inspires the 
desire of information, and stimulates to the use of every 
means of acquiring it ; but a vain and conceited mind is 
really ignorant, and is likely to remain so, while it pre¬ 
sumes upon wisdom. 

4. Courtesy was another conspicuous feature in the 
character of Rebekah. The stranger had no sooner re¬ 
quested a little supply of water, than she lets down the 
pitcher from her shoulder, and‘manifests the most obli¬ 
ging disposition to render him service. Her whole pro¬ 
ceeding evinces good humour and affability in the highest 
degree, and the “ law of kindness is in her tongue.”* 
Josephus relates that there were other young females 
with her, who w^re asked for water, but refused ; and 
that Rebekah reproved them for their churlishness. 
Her civilities were connected essentially with her pro¬ 
motion, though she had no selfish purpose in view : they 
resulted solely from a pure and disinterested generosity 
of spirit. 

Let young women remember that an unfeeling and 
disobliging temper is unworthy of their character, and 
opposite to their real interest. It is at once a neglect of 
duty, and'a certain forfeiture of esteem. Courteousness 
13 peculiarly suited to their age and sex, and particularly 
expected of them. Nor should the exercise of this dis¬ 
position be restricted merely to their superiors or equals ; 
it ought to characterize their behaviour to their depen¬ 
dents and inferiors. If young people display affability 
only when in company with others, who move in the same, 
or in a more elevated sphere of life than themselves, 
but assume consequence, and betray an arrogant spirit 
amongst their servants ; we cannot but suspect that their 
good qualities are only apparent, and their motives selfish. 


Prov. xxxi. 26. 


REBEKAH. 


103 


The true character of every person is to be learned 
at home, and at times when no exterior influences ope¬ 
rate to make persons different from themselves. Then 
the mask is taken off, meretricious ornaments are dispen¬ 
sed with, and consequently native qualities appear. Ty¬ 
rannical conduct may compel obedience, but an amiable 
spirit alone can command affection, and render servitude 
pleasant. There are, indeed, great constitutional differ¬ 
ences ; but it is no apology for petulance to say, it is 
natural to us, or that we were born irritable. Our con¬ 
stitutional imperfections ought to be carefully watched, 
and resolutely corrected. Irregularities of temper are 
capable of being subdued by the vigorous efforts of reli¬ 
gious principle. It is possible, by careful and constant 
discipline, to subdue the most untamed spirit; and is 
equally politic, because it renders its possessor dis¬ 
agreeable to others, and miserable in herself. 

It is on many accounts not only wicked, but foolish, to 
conduct yourselves with provoking superciliousness to¬ 
wards inferiors. Courtesy is easily practised, and the 
reverse dangerous to your own peace and comfort. Be¬ 
sides, it is scarcely possible to think of a human being so 
utterly contemptible, that his esteem is not worth pos¬ 
sessing, or so morose that he may not be conciliated by kind¬ 
ness : and in a world in which we are liable to such re¬ 
verses, and exposed to such reproaches, the friendship 
of the meanest person may be advantageous. Hence, it 
is well remarked by Dr. Barrow, “ the great Pompey, 
the glorious triumpher over nations, and admired darling 
of fortune, was at last beholden to a slave for the com¬ 
posing his ashes, and celebrating his funeral obsequies. 
The honour of the greatest men depends on the estima¬ 
tion of the least; and the good-will of the meanest pea¬ 
sant is a brighter ornament to the fortune, a greater ac¬ 
cession to the grandeur of a prince, than the most radiant 
gem in his royal diadem. However, the spite and enmity 
of one (and him the most weak otherwise and contemptible) 
person, may happen to spoil the content of our whole life, 


104 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


and deprive us of the most comfortable enjoyments 
thereof; may divert our thoughts from our delightful em¬ 
ployments, to a solicitous care of self-preservation and 
defence ; may discompose our minds with vexatious pas¬ 
sions ; may, by false reports, odious suggestions, and slan¬ 
derous defamations, blast our credit, raise a storm of 
general hatred, and conjure up thousands of enemies 
against us ; may, by insidious practices, supplant and un¬ 
dermine us, prejudice our welfare, endanger our estate, 
and involve us in a bottomless gulf of trouble.” 

6. We may take occasion, from Rebekah’s kindness, to 
commend another quality for which she was distinguished 
—humanity to animals. Abraham’s servant merely re¬ 
quested some water to quench his own thirst; but she 
felt for the dumb creatures that attended him, who could 
only express their wants by signs. She offered to supply 
his camels, and hastened to fill the troughs, that they 
might drink. How kind, how considerate was this ! There 
are few persons of a really amiable temper, who do not 
cherish an attachment to animals ; still we should distin¬ 
guish between a proper attention to their necessities and 
comforts, and that excessive caressing fondness which is 
unbecoming a rational being. 

But in what language shall we sufficiently denounce 
cruelty to animals ? Are they not the creatures of God ; 
and endowed with capacities both of pain and pleasure ? 
Why should we inflict unnecessary pain, even upon the 
meanest reptile ? Who has given us authority to do so ? 
By what argument, or by what sophistry, shall we seek a 
justification of such conduct ? Why should we abridge 
the short span of existence allotted to the inferior crea¬ 
tion, especially when we recollect that “ the spirit of a 
beast goeth downward and that, being destitute of im¬ 
mortality, the whole period of their enjoyment is limited 
to the short date of their life on earth ? It is the mark 
of a debased mind to seek amusement from the writhings 
of defenceless creatures, to sport even with the agonies 
of a fly. Parents and guardians of youth should particu- 


REBEKAH. 


105 


larly guard against the encouragement of a principle of 
cruelty, by allowing this practice. Children should not 
be suffered to indulge in such abuses, but should rather 
be taught to set a proper value upon the life and liberty 
of an animal. The subsequent maltreatment of the lower 
creation, many of the outrageous passions that in maturer 
life disgrace the uneducated part of society, and even the 
cold insensibility to the necessities of others which so 
often obtains in the higher circles, may be traced to this 
early commencement. The future tyrant is formed in the 
hours of sportive cruelty ; and he who in infancy prac¬ 
tises on a fly, may in maturity domineer over an empire. 
It is important to trace evil passions and principles to 
their origin, to watch their developement and first opera¬ 
tions, and, at the earliest possible period, to implant cor¬ 
rective sentiments in the youthful mind. 

Solomon represents it as characteristic of “a righteous 
man,” that he is “ merciful to his beast and if it 
be censurable to assail the meanest insect which is 
not positively noxious, how much more to abuse those 
animals which contribute to our domestic comfort and 
security? This may be done, not only by beating, 
goading, and over-driving the laborious ox, or the 
swift-paced horse, by whom we cultivate our fields, 
or pursue our commercial concerns ; but by stinting 
them of food, supplying them with insufficient or in¬ 
ferior provender, or leaving them to careless or 
peculating hands. Jacob was a specimen of kindness 
to animals—Balaam of brutality.t The Mosaic law 
wisely and mercifully provided for the ox which trod 
out the corn,| an enactment worthy of the supreme 
legislator, and coincident with the feelings of every 
humane heart. 

* Prov. xii. 10. f Gen. xxxili. 14. Numb. xxu. 

I Pent. xxT, 4-. 


REBEKAH. 


SECTION 11. 

The servant of Abraham cordially received into the house of Laban—tells 
his story—proposes to take Rebekah—consent of her family'—her readi¬ 
ness to go—the interview with Isaac—Rebekah becomes his wife—their 
anxieties—birth of Jacob and Esau—Isaac’s death-bed, and Rebekah’s 
unwarrantable proceedings—her solicitude respecting her son’s future 
conduct. 

We left the good old servant of Abraham at the well 
of water—we listened to his grateful acknowledgments 
to heaven for prospering his journey—and we saw 
the interesting daughter of Bethuel run home to in¬ 
form her friends of the extraordinary circumstance 
that had occurred. She had met a stranger—he had 
accepted her assistance, and presented her with costly 
ornaments—he had requested the customary rites of 
hospitality—he had been praying like a servant of the 
most high God—he had even intimated that he was 
travelling to fulfil some special commission of his 
master and their relative, the venerable Abraham! 
Every heart welcomed the tidings, and mutual con¬ 
gratulation circulated through the family. 

Laban, the brother of Rebekah, whose mercenary 
spirit viewed with peculiar satisfaction the ear-ring 
and bracelets which had been presented to his sister, 
hastened immediately to the well, and gave the mes¬ 
senger of Abraham a warm invitation to his home : 
“ Come in,” said, he, “ thou blessed of the Lord ; 
wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared 
the house, and room for the camels.” If we were 
quite certain that this pious language was dictated by 
a proportionable purity of motive, we should be highly 
gratified with it: but, alas! how common is it to use 


REBEKAH. 


107 


words of customary congratulation without meaning, 
and to sacrifice sincerity to politeness! 

The man accepted the invitation ; his camels were 
soon ungirded and supplied with provender, water was 
furnished to wash his feet and those of his men, and 
the table spread with a plentiful supply of provision 
for their refreshment. We need not be surprised, 
however, that he refuses to eat till he has introduced 
the important business upon which he came ; the good 
man’s heart is overflowing, and he prefers the dis¬ 
charge of his duty before his “ necessary food.” O 
that all our obedience to God were characterized by 
a similar zeal and fidelity! 

“ Speak on,” said Laban : upon which, with admi¬ 
rable skill and perfect ingenuousness, he recounts a 
series of simple facts, interweaving his narrative with 
such touching arguments as proved irresistible: he 
stated, without the vanity of a superior domestic who 
was actually the steward of the family, that he was 
“ Abraham’s servant ;” and then proceeds to mention, 
not his own exploits, or merit, or influence, but the 
opulence and prosperity of his master : his becoming 
great and rich in “ flocks and herds, and silver and 
gold, and men-servants and maid-servants, and camels 
and asses,” he devoutly ascribes to “ the Lord ;” but 
at the same time gives the fact a prominence in his 
discourse well calculated to conciliate the persons he 
addressed, and prepare them for his subsequent state¬ 
ments. He now proceeds to mention Isaac, taking 
care to intimate the weighty considerations, that he 
was the son of the illustrious patriarch whom he ser¬ 
ved, by Sarah his beloved wife ; born at an advanced 
period of their lives, and therefore young, as well as 
the child of promise and heir of all the wealth which 
his master possessed. He then explicitly refers to 
the solemn oath by which he had been bound to seek 
a wife for his son ; not amongst the idolatrous Ca- 
naanites near his owm residence, but amongst his kin- 


108 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

dred in Haran. Dear is the name of kindred, es¬ 
pecially when families are separated at such distances 
of time and space from each other, that they scarcely 
expect to meet again in an unbroken circle, and renew 
the embraces of friendship. It is then the tenderest 
sensibilities are excited, the fondest remembrances 
renewed, and the heart becomes accessible to every 
endearing impression ! 

Eliezer, having now gained the ear and won the 
regard of the listening circle, next adverts to the con¬ 
versation which had passed previously to the com¬ 
mencement of his journey ; in which he exhibits to 
great advantage the faith of his master Abraham, and 
the particular direction of his wishes. By repeating 
the story of his interview with Rebekah at the well, 
in connexion with the command to seek a wife for 
Isaac among the kindred of the family, he points at 
once to the object he had in view, and appeals to 
their piety in estimating the movements of Providence. 
They must consider whether all these concurring cir¬ 
cumstances w'ere not evidences of a divine interposi¬ 
tion, and whether some important consequences were 
not likely to result from the proposed connexion ; 
“ And now, if you will deal kindly and truly with 
my master, tell me ; and if not, tell me ; that I may 
turn to the right hand or to the left.” In all this 
the very spirit of his master is conspicuous in the 
servant; he had not lived with Abraham in vain ; a 

similar fear of God was before his eyes, and the 

same solicitude to fulfil the duties of his station ; he 
could not eat, he could not drink, till he had dis¬ 
burdened his full heart, and ascertained the probabi¬ 
lity of success in his important mission. 

Every servant may here take a lesson of fidelity 
to his master on earth, and every servant of Christ 
especially, who sustains the ministerial character, may 
see a fine speamen of the ardour, energy, and af¬ 
fection with which it becomes him to execute his high 


REBEKAH. 


109 


A 

trommission. This delicate service upon which Abra¬ 
ham’s servant was sent to Nahor, was honourably 
discharged; but how much more “ he that winneth 
souls is wise 

What could the friends of Rebekah say to the ap¬ 
peal they had heard ? Laban and Bethuel were over¬ 
whelmed. There was a mysterious singularity in the 
whole train of circumstances, calculated to impress the 
most indifferent and superficial mind, and they bowed 
to the interposing wisdom of the Supreme Disposer, 
As soon as the solemn feeling produced by such an 
extraordinary narrative was sufficiently regulated to 
permit them to speak, they joined in expressions of 
devout acknowledgment and submissive consent; “ The 
thing proceedeth from the Lord; we cannot speak 
unto thee bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before 
thee ; take her and go, and let her be thy master’s 
son’s wife, as the Lord hath spoken.” 

This was a moment of exquisite satisfaction; but 
whence did it originate ? Not surely so much in worldly 
as in religious considerations. The period .was arri¬ 
ved, that anxious period to the parent, for the mar¬ 
riage of his lovely Rebekah; and now he was satisfied 
with the disposal of her to a distant relation. A worldly 
mind would have rejoiced indeed in the outward suit¬ 
ability of the match, but especially in the flattering 
prospect of great possessions which it presented. These 
inferior views too generally and too exclusively influ¬ 
ence matrimonial alliances; the hearts both of the young 
and the aged are captivated by the splendours of lifcj 
as if they necessarily secured the possession of real 
happiness, or as if they could compensate for the 
absence of those mental and moral qualities which can 
alone constitute the basis of substantial comfort. But 
in the present instance, whatever pleasure might be law¬ 
fully derived from the assurances which were given 
of the opulence of Abraham, and from the endearing 

* Prov. xi. 30. 

L 


VoL. I. 



110 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


circumstance of the already existing relationship be» 
tween the two families, it was the perception of a 
providence^ superintending and guiding the whole ar¬ 
rangement, that occasioned these most delightful feel¬ 
ings ; it was not an idolatrous, but a pious connexion, 
and God had given the most striking indications of 
his will. 

Let parents remember, that with whatever temporal 
prosperities they may connect their beloved daughters, 
there is no security for permanent happiness without 
real religion; and let children consider, that if the fear 
of God do not possess their own breasts, and influence 
their matrimonial choice, the delirium of pleasure will 
soon be past, and a sense of inexpressible vacuity be 
left behind. The world is a gay deceiver, and life a 
fleeting dream; the mists of illusion which gather over 
the morning of existence, gradually disappear as the 
day advances ; and this imagined scene of enchantment, 
this fairy-land of pleasure subsides into the reality of 
a thorny wilderness. The only preparation for such a 
change, is a piety which seeks its happiness on high, and 
knows that no earthly condition can form a paradise 
without the presence of the blessed God. 

The faithful servant, having adored the divine goodness 
for thus evidently prospering his way, gave suitable pre¬ 
sents to this happy family ; jewels of silver, and jewels 
of gold, and raiment, were presented to the young and 
beautiful bride elect, and “ precious things” to her 
mother and brother: after this he could eat, necessary 
food being sweetened by temporal and spiritual blessings. 

The next morning, faithful to his commission, and eager 
to return, he presses for a dismission, to which we need 
not wonder that the brother and mother object, requiring 
him to remain at least ten days : still he urges his request, 
and pleads that the Lord had prospered his way: but 
how natural is their reluctance to part in a moment from 
so dear a daughter, never perhaps to see her face again 1 
They at length agree to defer the decision of the affair 


REBEKAH. 


ni 


to herself: Rebekah, with all the frankness so remarkable 
in her whole deportment, instantly replied, “ I will go.” 

It may appear mysterious, that when her parents 
pleaded only for a few days, when modesty would even 
seem to have dictated a little delay, and when filial ten* 
derness must have powerfully resisted so sudden and 
immediate a departure, that she should express so prompt 
a compliance, without even stipulating for a single day. 
Something perhaps may be justly imputed to the times, 
but far more to the religious state of her own mind; a 
sense of duty overwhelmed a feeling of reluctance, toge¬ 
ther with every inferior consideration. She was doubtless 
in the habit of daily intercourse with God, and in fervent 
prayer had sought divine direction : she saw an over¬ 
ruling providence—God was in the affair—his finger, 
visible to the eye of faith, pointed out the way in which 
she should go, and with unhesitating obedience she con¬ 
fessed her readiness to part with all the felicities of home 
to seek a distant alliance, at the voice of that sovereign 
Power to whom she committed her future destiny. Flat¬ 
tering as the scene before her must have appeared to 
a mere worldly eye, the sacrifices she made at this mo¬ 
ment of compliance were certainly most considerable. 
What could have led to such an answer, when standing 
between the tears, the tenderness, the entreaties, of 
parental and fraternal affection, and the urgency of a 
mere stranger, the servant too of her future house—but 
a faith which overcame the world, and dictated her holy 
resolution ? Heaven appointed her journey, and nature 
pleaded in vain. 

To every reader we recommend the noble principle 
which actuated this young heroine. Let inclination bow 
to a sense of duty—let God be obeyed rather than man 
—let not only authority be resisted, but even the fondest- 
endearments sacrificed to the divine requirements. Ap¬ 
ply this principle ^to a higher occasion, and remember 
that the Son of God has declared, “ If any man come to 
me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and 


112 


FExMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life 
also, he cannot be my disciple ; and whosoever doth not 
bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”* 

How tender, how affectionate is the parting scene I 
How the heart speaks in every word! The whole group 
seems placed before our eyes ; and we witness the tears 
that flow, the sighs that heave each bosom ; we seem to 
hear the faultering yet fond accent, in which the dear 
forsaken family pronounce the last benediction, “Thou 
art our sister ; be thou the mother of thousands of mil¬ 
lions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which 
hate them.” 

Behold Rebekah, quitting the scene of her infancy and 
youth! Painful was the sacrifice, but pleasant the service : 
a thousand objects would revive the remembrance of past 
occupations and occurrences; a thousand circumstances 
rush into her meciory ; her susceptible mind would often 
retrace the seenes <^nce so familiar, now to be abandoned 
for ever; affection would often recall the names of 
Bethuel and Laban, and filial tenderness would weep at 
the thought of maternal anxiety. She was about to com¬ 
mit her happiness to the disposal of another—to form 
another connexion—to seek another home—the young 
plant was removed by Providence to take root in a new 
soil and situation. This is always a moment of trial, and, 
in the usual manner of estimating life, an experiment of 
doubtful issue ; but he who commits his way to the Lord,” 
and “ leans not to his own understanding,” but at the call 
of duty, in the spirit of prayer, dissolves or forms con¬ 
nexions, may reasonably hope for the “ blessing which 
maketh rich” in all the essentials of happiness. Young 
people ! venture not upon a single step without a previous 
application for guidance to the “ throne of grace,” lest 
by inconsideration and rashness you forfeit the favours 
you might have secured by piety. At your eventful 
period of life the transactions of one day are likely ta. 
affect the welfare of many succeeding years ; and if yon 

* Luke xiv. 26, 27. 


REBEKAH. 


113 


Tvould reap a future harvest of joy, you must sow in pre¬ 
sent tears and prayers. 

No incident of the journey is mentioned till the 
cavalcade was nearly arrived at Hebron ; they then saw 
a person walking in a thoughtful attitude ; and Rebekah, 
suspecting probably that he might be one of the house¬ 
hold establishment of Abraham, inquired of the servant, 
“ What man is this, that walketh in the field to meet us ?” 
The servant informed her it was his young master, the 
son of Abraham; he was come into the field for the 
purposes of meditation and prayer. She instantly took 
a veil and covered herself, alighting from the camel. 
This was done in compliance with the usages of the 
times, as a part of the ceremonial belonging to the pre¬ 
sentation of a bride to her intended husband: the east¬ 
ern brides are generally veiled in a particular manner 
upon such occasions. This custom seems at once ex¬ 
pressive of female modesty and subjection. 

Isaac appears to have avoided addressing her when 
he perceives the veil, but taking the servant aside, he 
learns from his mouth the long and pleasing tale of every 
circumstance in his journey ; he participates the general 
feeling, and with emotions of gratitude and gladness con¬ 
ducts his Rebekah into the tent of Sarah, whose loss 
he had so deeply regretted, that now for the first time, 
he was comforted respecting it. After the customary 
mode, Rebekah became his wife, and he loved her.* 

Peace be to that dwelling, the residence of a dutiful son 
and a tender husband—a kind, generous, open-hearted, 
pious wife! Dear were the ties of nature which united 

* “ We do not find that their (the Israelites’) marria^s were attended 
with any religious ceremony, except the prayers of the father of the family 
and the standers by, to entreat the blessing of God: we have examples of 
it in the marriage of Rebekah with Isaac, of Ruth with Boaz, and of Sara 
with Tobias. We do not see that there were any sacrifices offered upon 
the occasion, or that they went to the temple, or sent for the priests ; all 
was transacted betwixt the relations and friends, so that it was no more, 
than a civil contract,” Fleukv^b Manners of the Ancient Israelites, part 
ii. chap. 10. 


114 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHV. 

them, but still dearer the bonds of religion! It was a day 
they never could forget—it was a friendship that could 
never be dissolved! What could be wanting to complete 
their bliss ? Approving friends, reciprocal attachment,, 
concurring providences, smiling heaven, sanctioned the 
proceeding. At present their cup was full to the brim— 
not a bitter ingredient mingled in the portion. But 
while we congratulate their situation, let us imitate their 
example ; and if we would participate a similar felicity, 
cherish a similar spirit: we may be fully assured that 
real piety will sweeten the pleasures and possessions of 
life ; it may even prevent, and will certainly sanctify, 
disappointments. 

We are, however, easily misled ; looking only at the 
outward appearance, (and in general little more can be 
known of the history of families,) it is common to fancy 
the prosperous, and persons of the greatest connexions,, 
really possessed of the most abundant share of happiness. 
In some cases every earthly good seems to be the allotted 
portion, and we are ready to imagine that sorrow has found 
uo means of access, no door of admission : but a very 
slight knowledge of the world is sufficient to ascertain that 
there is a “ crook in every lot,” and that this world is not 
the destined abode of unmingled enjoyment. This re¬ 
mark is exemplified in the history of Isaac and Rebekah. 
Twenty years elapsed, and they had no children : this 
must have been a severe affliction, not only because at that 
period a general hope of being connected with the Mes¬ 
siah led all pious persons to be solicitous of a family, but 
because Isaac was the son of promise, the multiplication 
of his seed was distinctly recorded, and he had formed his 
matrimonial connexion in the fear of God. As he partook 
of the trial, he seems to have been endowed with the 
spirit, of his illustrious father ; though he lived childless, 
Re did not cherish despondency, but “ entreated the Lord 
for his wife,” which was the only effectual means of pro-> 
curing the blessing. 


REBEKAH. 


115 


His prayer was heard; but this new favour was at¬ 
tended with unusual anxieties, which proved signs of future 
Years before events. She ultimately bore twins, of which 
Christ, 1836. elder was destined to serve the younger. 

As names were usually given in reference to the circum¬ 
stances attending the birth of children, so Esau signified 
rec?, in allusion to his colour, and Jacob signified the sup- 
planter. Esau, and his posterity the Edomites, were of a 
sanguinary disposition, and peculiarly hostile to Israel; 
Jacob supplanted his brother in the birthright; Esau was 
“ a cunning hunter, a man of the field Jacob, “ a plain 
man, dwelling in tents.” 


From the earliest period of their lives we may trace 
the existence of those partialities in the two parents which 
have so frequently disquieted the otherwise most harmo¬ 
nious families. The Scriptures assign a particular cause 
for the fondness which Isaac cherished for Esau, which 
seems a most lamentable weakness in so venerable a man^; 
it arose from his eating of his venison ; for he was given 
to the indulgence of his appetite. Surely when we ob¬ 
serve how the greatest of men have been guilty of some 
of the most unaccountable littlenesses, it should awaJien 
ns to holy jealousy over ourselves, and induce us to esta¬ 
blish a system of constant, laborious, and impartial self¬ 
inspection. 

The occasion of Rebekali’s partiality is not distinctly 
recorded ; it might possibly have originated in his being 
more domestic, and attentive to herself.* The usual 
effects resulted from these partialities : Isaac was blind ta 
the sins of his son, who soon pursued a course of conduct 
that occasioned both his parents the deepest grief; while 
Rebekah’s fondness involved herself and her favourite 
child in the greatest criminality. 


* Most commentators attribute a higher principle to the partialiW of 
Rebekah ; they imagine that it was founded upon the prophecies, choosing 
him whom the Lord had chosen; but I can perceive no good reason for 
this opinion. 


116 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPITY. 


Having attained an advanced period of life, and becom¬ 
ing conscious of increasing infirmities, Isaac took measures 
to convey the patriarchal benediction and the blessings of 
the covenant to his posterity. With this view he called 
his eldest son, and in accents of fondness re- Years before 
quested him to go and procure him that savoury Chnst, 1750- 
kind of food to which he was so partial; after which he 
expressed his intention of pronouncing the blessing, and thus 
securing for him, as he imagined, the mercies of the 
Abrahamic covenant. Overhearing this conversation, Re- 
bekah thinks of her favourite son, and instantly devises a 
plan to supersede his elder brother. This was, indeed, 
conformable to the determinations of Providence ; but is 
no justification of her sinful policy. If it were even her 
intention to accomplish the divine promises, the plea 
would not vindicate her doing evil, that good might come. 

Her object being to countervail the design of her hus¬ 
band, she instantly commences a system of manoeuvring 
to carry her point. We must consider her now as under 
a particular temptation, and evidently acting inconsistently 
with the natural ingenuousness of her character, no less 
than with the principles of her religion. The proper 
course would have been that of persuasion, entreaty, or 
remonstrance; but under the apprehension that Isaac’s 
extravagant attachment to his darling child would render 
this unavailable, she deviates at once from the path of 
rectitude to gain her purpose. It is most unfortunate 
when the heads of families are influenced by opposite 
wishes, and refuse a fair, candid exposition of their own 
views to each other. Confidence is the basis of friend¬ 
ship, and in no case should be cherished with more assidu¬ 
ous care than in domestic life. 

Active in the execution of a scheme she had so prompt¬ 
ly devised, Rebekah states to Jacob all that had passed 
between his father and his elder brother ; proposing, or 
rather commanding him to go to the flock with all possible 
despatch, and fetch two kids of the goats ; ** and I,” savs 


'REBEEAH. 


117 


she, “ will make them savoury meat for thy, father, such 
as he loveth ; and thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he 
may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.” 
Jacob hesitates—not, how'ever, as we could have wished, 
at the execution of the plan ; but solely because he is 
apprehensive of its failing, and producing unhappy con¬ 
sequences. Jacob was pacified by his mother’s offer to 
run all hazards, and incur the whole responsibility of the 
transaction. She reiterates her request with all the fer¬ 
vour that a better cause should have inspired ; and has 
not long to wait in a state of irksome suspense, before the 
favourite of her excessive affection returns with the kids. 
Not a moment is to be lost—every thing ia put in requi¬ 
sition—the savoury meat is soon prepared. The hunter’s 
speed is outstripped by management and artifice—in vain 
he toils over the lengthening field. Jacob is introduced, 
by his mother, into Isaac’s apartment, clothed in the 
goodly raiment of Esau, covered on the more exposed 
parts of the body with the skins of the kids, to- make him 
resemble his hairy brother ; and presents the food with 
due formality and dissembling eagerness to the blind old 
patriarch. Some suspicions, however, are awakened 
—“ Who is it?”—“ I am Esau, thy first-born.”—“ How 
can this be—how quickly thou hast returned ?”—The 
young man blushes and trembles—but he must either 
confess or persevere—there was no alternative—the mo¬ 
ther’s eyes probably intimated that he must persist in his 
deception. Awful to relate ! he ascribes his good suc¬ 
cess, personating Esau, to “ the Lord.” Isaac pursues 
other measures to obtain satisfaction. His voice appears 
altered, and he begs io feel his son—the falsehood silences, 
but does not satisfy him. At length, he is persuaded— 
he blesses him, and eats the venison. Though the dupe 
of atrocious artifice, Isaac is, nevertheless, under super¬ 
natural direction, and was afterward unable to revoke his 
benediction. 

But what did Rebekah gain by this detestable contri¬ 
vance ? She saw, indeed, her favourite son inheriting 


118 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

the blessing; but this would have descended upon him 
without her interference, according to the predetermina¬ 
tions of Providence. She saw also a just recrimination 
upon her deceit on the part of observant Heaven. The 
original dislike of the two brothers was kindled into a 
raging flame. Esau burned with indignation at being thus 
cajoled, and resolved to avail himself of the days of 
mourning for his father, to satiate his resentment in his 
brother’s blood : and Rebekah, to save both their lives> 
was obliged to send her guilty, but favourite son, to a dis¬ 
tance. Thus were the latter days of both the parents 
imbittered by their indiscreet and criminal partialities ! 

After the departure of Jacob, the fond mother becomes 
not merely solicitous for his safety, but anxious respecting 
his future conduct. She reflects on the temptation to 
form an idolatrous alliance, to which he might become 
exposed, uscheckedby parental authority, and under cir¬ 
cumstances which would naturally induce him to seek a 
shelter from the storm of adversity in the bosom of con¬ 
jugal endearment. If the language of Rebekah, upon 
this occasion, be tinctured with impatience, we cannot 
but feel gratified to see it founded upon religious senti¬ 
ment. “ And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my 
life, because of the daughters of Heth : if Jacob take a 
wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are 
of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do 
to me ?”* 

We are unwilling to part with Rebekah precisely at 
this point of her history, but here it is that the sacred 
narrative drops her name. It is written, however, we 
doubt not, on the imperishable pages of another volume, 
which is emphatically styled, “ the Lamb’s book of 
life.”! 

This abrupt termination suggests, amongst other con¬ 
siderations, the truth of the narrative. If it had been the 
purpose of the writer to exhibit the subject of his story to 


* Gen. xxvit 46. 


f Rev. xxi. 27. 




REBEKAU. 


119 


the admiration of posterity, or to display his own powers, 
rather than to represent fact or record instructive bio¬ 
graphy, he would have carefully avoided whatever tended 
to diminish the interest of the whole, and give it an un¬ 
finished appearance. By concealing some of the more 
unsightly parts of the picture, and by rendering promi¬ 
nent others of a more attractive character, he might have 
contrived to accomplish an though at the expense 

of truth and reality. But the sentiments and preposses¬ 
sions of the writer disappear from the narrative of Scrip¬ 
ture. There is no effort to conceal any facts which may 
be supposed to weaken the general impression, or to in¬ 
troduce explanatory or encomiastic statements which 
may be thought to strengthen and enhance it. In every 
page, in every sentence, it is apparent that the great 
object is instruction, and not amusement. The historian 
has no private views—no partialities—no misconceptions 
—the pen of inspiration is dipped in the fountain of truth, 
and “ holy men of God spake as they were moved by the 
Holy Ghost.”* 

Let the sad inconsistencies which disgrace the closing 
part of Rebekah’s history, awaken every reader to a just 
sense of the importance of a persevering uniformity of 
character. It is of great consequence, that we adorn the 
religion we profess, and that our light shine more and 
more—that we grow in grace as we advance in years, 
and that we do not resemble the changing wind or the in¬ 
constant wave. Let us improve the failure and irregu¬ 
larity of others to the purpose of self-examination ; and, 
while we neither extenuate nor aggravate their faults, 
aim to avoid them. We have enough to encourage, yet 
sufficient to caution us. A life of unblemished piety is 
almost as rare an occurrence, as a day of unclouded 
brightness ; but many such adorn the annals of the church, 
and the grace of God is fully competent to multiply their 
number. 


* 2 Pet. i. 21. 


MiniJiM, 


CHAPTER VI. 

Proceedings of the new King of Egypt—birth of Moses—conduct of Miriam 
—preservation of Moses—escape of Israel—Miriam’s zeal in celebrating 
the event—her character formed by early advantages—contrasted with 
Michal—she engages with Aaron in a plot against Moses—God observes 
it—trial—punishment of leprosy inflicted upon Miriam—her cure—dies 
at Kadesh—general remarks on slander—debasing nature of sin—hope 
of escaping punisliment fallacious—danger of opposing Christ—exhor¬ 
tation to imitate the temper of Moses. 

The family of Amram was distinguished by a very 
striking peculiarity. All the three younger branches of 
which it consisted, Aaron, Moses, and Miriam, became 
eminent in ancient Israel. Their history is considerably 
intermingled ; but the latter, from the design of this work, 
will claim our chief attention. 

Sixty-four years had elapsed from the death of Joseph, 
when the “ wezy king over Egypt,”* influenced by an ill- 
founded jealousy of the Israelites, adopted one Years before 
of those measures to which weak and wicked Christ, 1571. 
princes are sometimes excited by an unhappy combination 
of bad counsel, and mean-spirited perverseness. Instead 
of regarding this people, who had been prodigiously mul¬ 
tiplied by a series of unexampled prosperities, as the 
most valuable portion of his subjects, and the best secu¬ 
rity to his crown ; this Pharaoh was jealous of their 
strength, and determined to weaken it by a course of sys¬ 
tematic oppression. This he called “ dealing wise/t/with 
themwhereas it would have been infinitely wiser, 
even upon principles of mere political prudence, to say 
nothing of justice and humanity, to have conciliated by 
kind treatment, rather than have exasperated by bar- 


* Exod. i. 8. 


MIRIAM. 121 

barous exactions, six hundred thousand of his sub¬ 
jects ! 

His plan was, in the first place, to set over them task¬ 
masters, to afflict them with extraordinary burdens ; but,, 
to his extreme mortification, “ the more they afflict¬ 
ed them, the more they multiplied and grew.”^ Still 
his obstinacy did not permit the least relaxation of 
that rigorous discipline he had imposed ; although, while 
he imbittered their lives, he failed of promoting his own 
interest. Disappointment exasperated his malignity ; and 
he issued orders to certain Hebrew women, of whom 
Shiphrah and Puah are named as the principal in their of¬ 
fice, to destroy every male child that should be born. 
They ventured, however, to disobey this mandate ; the 
fear of God not allowing them to commit murder, though 
enjoined to do so by royal authority. The king called 
them to an account for their disobedience, and “ charged 
all his people, saying. Every son that is born ye shall cast 
into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.” 
When we have such an awful display of the excess of 
human passions, that fearful band of banditti that is for 
ever disturbing the peace of society, it should inspire us 
with holy solicitude to suppress the first emotions of sin 
in our hearts, and to aspire after the dignity and the bliss 
ofdominion over ourselves. Alas I how many who have 
been victorious over foreign powers, could never achieve 
this nobler conquest of internal depravity ! 

The command of Pharaoh to his too tractable slaves, 
introduces us to the story of the birth and preservation of 
Moses. His mother—unenviable name in this sad sea¬ 
son of calamity !—his weeping mother, by a thousand 
schemes, such as maternal fondness and ingenuity would 
naturally devise to save the little darling of her heart, con¬ 
trived to conceal this “ goodly child” for the space of 
three months ; but finding it impossible to hide him any 
longer, she took him—and with what feelings, say, ye 
tender-hearted mothers !—to the river Nile. 

* Exod. i. 12. 

M 


VoL, I. 


122 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


--“ A doating parent lives 

In many lives ; through many a nerve she feels ; 

Froin child to child the quick affections spread, 

For ever wand’ring, yet for ever fix’d. 

Nor does division weaken, nor the force 
Of constant operation e’er exhaust 
Parental love. All other passions change 
With changing circumstances ; rise or fall. 

Dependent on their object; claim returns ; 

Live on reciprocation, and expire. 

Unfed by hope. A mother’s fondness reigns, 

W'ithout a rival, and without an end.” 

H. More. 

Miriam, an i/iteresting actor upon this occasion, ac¬ 
companied her mother. Willing to adopt every possi¬ 
ble expedient, even at this last extremity, the afflicted 
parent had prepared a little boat of bulrushes, which 
grew plentifully on the bank ; and making it water-proof, 
by the use of pitch and tar, she put the child into it, 
committed it to the uncertain elements, and retired from 
the heart-rending scene. Poor Miriam, his sister, sup¬ 
posed to be at this time about ten or twelve years of age, 
was placed at a distance to watch the event. Dear little 
sentinel! what heart can refuse to pity thy sad employ¬ 
ment 1 who does not sympathize with thy sorrow, arid be¬ 
gin to mourn with thee for thy anticipated bereavement! 
Imagination listens to strains which seem to strike upon 
the ear of distant ages : 

“ The flags and sea-weeds will awhile sustain 
Their precious load, but it must sink ere long ! 

Sweet babe, farewell! Yet think not I will leave thee. 

No, I will watch thee, till the greedy waves 
Devour thy little bark.” 

The dispensations of Providence are, indeed con¬ 
siderably diversified ; but at what an early period does 
affliction familiarize itself, even with the happiest fa¬ 
mily ! Behold Moses, in his cradle of bulrushes, ex¬ 
posed to the waters and the crocodiles of the Nile! 
Behold his little sister at some distance, participating the 



MIRIAM. 


123 


cares of her mother, and already at the outset of life 
deluged with a storm of grief. She had learned to love 
the babe—she had fondled it, and felt the kindlings of 
sisterly affection—and at an age just sufficiently advanced 
to realize something of the nature and extent of her 
loss, the new-born infant is torn from her heart by the 
hands of sanguinary violence. It was because he was 
a Hebrew child. His danger, and the distress of Miriam 
and her mother, arose from their belonging to the per¬ 
secuted Israelites ; but with all their disadvantages in 
this unfriendly world, let the children of pious parents 
rejoice, even amidst their tribulations and reproaches, 
in being connected with the people of God. It is an 
honour which, however at present overlooked, will 
hereafter be fully appreciated, both by those who have 
desired and those who have despised it! 

At this juncture, the daughter of Pharaoh, to whom 
Josephus has given the name of Thermutis, came down 
with her maidens to the river-side ; and perceiving the 
frame of bulrushes, sent her servant to fetch it. Upon 
opening it the little stranger wept. Her heart was 
touched with compassion, and she said, “ This is one of 
the Hebrew children. 

Miriam, all observant and alert, seized the happy mo¬ 
ment, introduced herself, or perhaps she was called by 
the royal lady ; but dexterously contrived to propose her 
going to call a Hebrew nurse to nourish and rear it as 
her adopted child. Divinely influenced by him who has all 
hearts in his hands, and moves them by his secret touch, 
she consents ; and who should the well-instructed young 
messenger bring, but the babe’s own mother ! Pharaoh’s 
daughter entrusted the adopted stranger to her care, and 
pays her for a service which she would willingly have 
rendered even at the hazard of her life. The child grew, 
and, from the expression of the sacred historian, ap¬ 
pears to have become a favourite with this illustrious 
princess. “ And she called his name Moses ; and she 
said. Because I drew him out of the water.” Such is 


.24 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

the story, which needs none of the Rabbinical em.” 
bellishments to make it additionally interesting or won¬ 
derful, 

Miriam is next introduced to us upon an occasion 
the most remarkable that ever occurred in the history of 
the world. Miracle after miracle had been performed 
by the instrumentality of Moses, ere the infatuated king 
of Egypt could be persuaded to dismiss the children 
of Israel and no sooner had he given his consent to 
their removal, than taking an immense army he pur¬ 
sued them to their encampment, which was by the sea, 
beside Pihahiroth, before Baal-Zephon. The terrified 
fugitives complained to their leader, who presented 
fervent supplications to Heaven for their deliverance. 
The ear of mercy heard; he was commanded to take 
Lis rod, and stretch it over the waters, upon the as¬ 
surance that they should instantly divide, and present a 
dry channel, over which they might safely pass. Awed 
by a divine power, the retiring waves became a wall 
of defence on either side, while the pillar of a cloud 
guided their adventurous march. During the night, the 
Egyptian and Israelitish armies were kept asunder, in 
consequence of the cloud affording a miraculous light 
to the one, and shedding disastrous darkness upon the 
other. Pharaoh, obdurate and furious, led on his troops 
into the new-formed channel; and already by anticipa¬ 
tion seized in the grasp of his mighty malice, the prey 
which he intended to tear and devour. “ And it came 
Vears before lo P^ss, that in the moming-watch the Lord 
Christ 1491. looked upon the host of the Egyptians through 
the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the 
host of the Egyptians, and took off their chariot-wheels, 
that they drave. heavily : so that the Egyptians said. 
Let us flee from the face of Israel : for the Lord fight- 
cth for them against the Egyptians. And the Lord said 
unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that 
the waters may come again upon the Egyptains, upon 


MIRPAM. 


125 


their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses 
stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea return¬ 
ed to his strength when the morning appeared ; and the 
fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the 
in the midst of the sea. And the waters re¬ 
turned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and 
all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after 
them ; there remained not so much as one of them.’’* 

What a scene did the light of morning exhibit to Israel! 
Pharaoh’s chariots, his chosen captains, and all his host, 
had perished ; “ the depths had covered them, they 
sank into the bottom as a stone.” But, as if the waters 
refused to harbour even the bodies of these enemies 
of the people of God, they were no sooner drown¬ 
ed than thrown, by the indignant billows, upon the 
sea-shore. See their ranks broken, their persons 
disfigured, their glory for ever extinguished 1 their un¬ 
buried and unpitied remains proclaim how fearful a 
thing it is to fall into the hands of God, and how danger¬ 
ous it is to venture upon “ touching” his people, which 
is, in effect, touching the apple of his eye.” 

Anxious to celebrate so miraculous a victory, a victory 
achieved without a battle, and by the special interpo¬ 
sal of an omnipotent arm, Moses composed that celebra¬ 
ted song of thanksgiving which is recorded in the fifteenth 
chapter of the book of Exodus. It is remarkable, not 
only on account of its intrinsic excellency, but as being 
composed six hundred and forty-seven years before the 
birth of Homer, the best of heathen poets ; and, there¬ 
fore, the most ancient piece of poetical composition in 
the world. It is characterized by the beauty and bold¬ 
ness of its imagery, the strength of its language, and the 
piety of its sentiments. If brought into comparison with 
the finest specimens of human genius that have since 
delighted mankind, its superiority must instantly be 
established. 


* Exod. xiv. 24—28. 

M 2 


FEMALE scripture BIOGRAPHY. 

According to the practice of the age, Miriam, with 
whom we are particularly concerned at present, ap¬ 
peared at the head of the women to congratulate Israel 
upon this splendid event, in responsive strains and dan¬ 
ces. She was anxious only to aid the universal joy, 
and express in every possible manner her accordance 
of sentiment with that of her two illustrious brothers, 
Moses and Aaron, and the thousands of Israel. Happy 
was it for |lliriam, that, instead of leading the unhallow¬ 
ed and prostituted festivities of heathen gods, she was 
, educated in the Jews’ religion;” and, from infancy to 
maturer years, had been taught to sing the praises of 
the great I am I Nor did she merely mingle her un- 
distinguishable notes of joy with her countrywomen 
and her nation; but, from the ardour of her zeal, 
and the general superiority of her character, she took 
the lead in these devotional raptures. Her early 
advantages, and her pious connexions, had contri¬ 
buted essentially to the formation of her future charac¬ 
ter. They not only contributed to impress a holy bias 
upon her mind, but to prepare and mould her into 
that characteristic pre-eminence, by which she oc¬ 
cupied so conspicuous a station among the Israelites, 
and was ranked with their two illustrious leaders.^ 
What might not be anticipated from the singular con¬ 
currence of such means in her favour ? She was the 
sister of a man who refused the honours of a court, 
and perhaps of a crown, to incur a voluntary degrada¬ 
tion with the afflicted people of God ; and with him she 
enjoyed a familiar and incessant intercourse. She had, 
besides, received her earliest lessons in the school of 
adversity, and w'as become an eminent proficient in 
sacred knowledge. 

Let us duly appreciate, but be cautious of overrating, 
the advantage of a religious education. It did not neces- 

“ For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee 
out of the house of sen^ants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and 
Alinmn,'*' Mic, vi. 4. 


MIRIAM. 


I2T 

sarily follow, from the means which Providence so amply 
and so graciously dispensed to Miriam, that she should 
become a truly religious person, much less that she 
should acquire such distinction in Israel; but while we 
gratefully admit, that good instruction is calculated to 
effect the best results, and will commonly produce them, 
it does not infallibly secure the end; nor can it, at any 
time, prove available, independently of the blessing of 
Go-d. With the use of that system of means which is 
established in the providential arrangements of Heaven, 
his concurring sanction may be expected ; although, to 
show the impotency of mere means, and to fulfil the se¬ 
cret purposes of the divine government, they are some¬ 
times totally ineflicient. It was the privilege of Miriam 
to be born an Israelite, and to have pious relatives; and 
it is our advantage to live in an age, and to be born in a 
country, blessed with the pure light of the Christian re¬ 
velation. But religion is personal in its nature ; and 
unless our advantages be improved, it is in vain that we 
have possessed them. Providence may give us Abraham 
for our father, and impenitence may incur perdition for 
our portion ! It was to the most distinguished, and to the 
most boasting of the Jewish fraternity, that Jesus Christ 
afterward declared, “ I know you, that ye have not the 
love of God in you.”^ 

The conduct of Miriam, on the triumphal occasion al¬ 
ready mentioned, exhibits a striking contrast to that of 
Michal, the daughter of Saul, when, at a subsequent 
period, the ark of God was brought from the house of 
Obed-edom into the city of David. Harps, psalteries, 
timbrels, cornets, cymbals, and all kinds of musical in¬ 
struments, were put in requisition upon that interesting 
day; and David, disarraying himself of the dress of 
royalty, and substituting the lighter linen vestment of the 
priests, danced before the ark in a devout ecstacy. But 
Michal, instead of uniting in the shouts of universal 

* John V. 42. 


128 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

gladness, and extolling her husband’s humility and zeal, 
addressed him in this taunting language, “ How glorious 
was the king of Israel to-day, who uncovered himself to¬ 
day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one 
of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!” 
From David’s vindication of his behaviour, and from the 
punishment inflicted on this inconsiderate woman, we 
perceive how little capable irreligious characters are of 
estimating the nature and value of those extraordinary 
acts of piety, for which eminent saints have been always 
distinguished ; and how displeasing to God is their prone¬ 
ness to vilify those whom they ought rather to admire. 
In the present instance, however, Miriam inspires the 
song, and leads the dance, vying with the other sex in ex¬ 
pressions of praise, and recognizing with equal joy an 
interposing Providence. While Moses exclaims, “ I will 
sing unto the Lord Miriam, with no tardy zeal, utters 
the responsive and animating strain, “ Sing ye to the 
Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously, the horse and 
his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” 

Union in religious exercises is conducive to holy plea¬ 
sure, and no sight can be more gratifying than that of 
brethren and sisters engaging with heart and voice in the 
praises of God. Within the small circle of a single family, 
what a considerable portion of happiness—such as the world 
cannot possible supply—is dispensed, when every heart 
is in tune to devotion, and no discordant sympathies blend 
with the universal feeling of pious delight. It resembles 
a young plantation, which the gentle gales of the south 
bend in the same direction—all under the same divine in¬ 
fluence, all tending to the same point. But never had wit¬ 
nessing spirits before beheld such a scene on earth, as 
that of a whole nation assembled to celebrate the praises 
of Jehovah—never till the day of deliverance from the 
Red Sea, had they before listened to such acclamations as 
those of all the tribes and tongues of the thousands of 
Israel united in one general, instantaneous, and harmoni- 


MIRIAM. 


129 


ous song. Now a world, which having been character¬ 
ized by its apostacy, was marked by signs of displeasure 
—a world from which only a few notes of holy praise, a 
few strains of sincere devotion, had ascended to heaven 
from individual saints during the long course of more than 
tu'o thousand Jive hundred years —seemed beginning to 
redeem its character, and rise to the dignity of serving 
God! 

II blessed spirits were not permitted to break silence, 
and mingle their congratulations with man, as they did 
when incarnate mercy descended to Bethlehem, who can 
doubt the reality of their sympathy and satisfaction, when 
the songs of Moses and Miriam were thus emulating “ the 
song of the Lamb ?” Faith travels onward to a future 
and still happier day, when every redeemed individual, 
from amongst men, shall be permitted to utter his voice 
in the great chorus of eternity, in w'hich the millions of 
the human race, who have “ washed their robes and made 
them white in the blood of the Lamb,” shall unite with 
the unfallcn wnivprsp in thp praises nf Heaven. By the 
visions of the apocalypse, we are admitted to a view of 
the employments of that celestial state, and the very 
prospect of it is highly calculated to kindle a warm devo- 
~tion. How truly trifling do all the pursuits of time ap¬ 
pear to the exercises and enjoyments of happy beings 
around the throne, who, elevated above this mortal 
sphere, behold the unveiled glories of God and the Lamb, 
and drink immortal bliss from “ the fountain of living 
waters.” The many angels round about the throne, and 
the living creatures and elders, whose number is ten 
thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 
are represented as uniting in the same immortal song, 
adoring the same Lord, and celebrating the s«mie redemp¬ 
tion.* It is thus—exhilarating anticipation! the devo¬ 
tions of time will expand into the songs of eternity—thus 
the services of earth issue in the raptures of heaven I 


* Rev. V. jpassim\ 


130 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

The course of the history of Israel at length introdu¬ 
ces us to a very different, but perhaps a no less instruc¬ 
tive scene. Miriam must not only be contemplated in a 
new, but unpleasing light. Hitherto she had been the 
coadjutor of her brother iMoses, but now becomes his op¬ 
ponent, pursuing a line of conduct, in consequence of in¬ 
dulging a guilty passion, which usually produces the 
most deplorable effects, and which we cannot but lament 
should have been so conspicuous in this illustrious woman. 
The circumstance alluded to is recorded, with the cha¬ 
racteristic fidelity of the inspired historians, in the twelfth 
chapter of the book of Numbers. 

“ Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous ; but who is 
able to stand before Envy To this latter principle 
must be attributed the plot in which both Aaron and Mi¬ 
riam engaged to diminish the reputation of Moses. This 
was not indeed the ostensible reason, but it was their real 
design ; and occasioned the severe, but just chastisement 
which was immediately inflicted. Seldom do any of the 
baser passions act without combining and blending them¬ 
selves with hypocritical pretences, in order to conceal 
from view their own hateful deformity. This will be 
found particularly the case, when they prevail in persons 
who have acquired respectability and influence, and who 
are not given over to total blindness and hardness of 
heart. Artifice may sometimes conduce to success, but 
it usually betrays character. 

Aaron and Miriam spake against Moses, but not to him. 
If they had observed any thing objectionable in his ad¬ 
ministration of public affairs, it would have been candid, 
fair, and kind to have taken a private opportunity for ex¬ 
postulation or inquiry. Not only was he extremely ac¬ 
cessible, but they were his relatives, and in habits of daily 
intimacy and communication. They knew him well, and 
saw him often. Such a conduct would have done them 
honour, and although their surmises had proved incor- 


* Prov. xxvii. 4. 


MIRIAM. 


131 


rect, Moses would have applauded their ingenuousness. 
But, alas ! these dear relatives, and otherwise good and 
great characters, had become envious of their brother; 
and acting conformably to the invariable meanness of such 
a spirit, they secretly circulated reports in the camp 
tending to disparage his excellence, for the purpose of 
advancing their own pretensions to popular estimation. 
Their arrogance is sufficiently apparent from their words, 
“ Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses ? Hath he 
not spoken also by us !” 

Can this be Aaron ? Can that be Miriam ? The 
one the brother —the other the sister of Moses ? Persons 
too, venerable for their years, and for their office, and 
only next in honour to the great legislator and leader of 
Israel ? It may have comported with the ambition of a 
Pagan to exclaim, “ I had rather be the first man in a 
village, than the second in a kingdom but is such lan¬ 
guage befitting the lips of saints and prophets of the 
true God ? Was not Aaron the person that sought the 
intercession of his brother when he had committed idola¬ 
try ? Was he not consecrated a high priest unto God ? 
Was not Miriam his elder sister, who acted so conspicu¬ 
ous a part in his early preservation, watching his bul¬ 
rush-cradle when exposed to the waves and the monsters 
of the Nile ? Was it not Miriam that accompanied him in 
his prosperities, that hailed his increasing glory, that aid¬ 
ed his triumphant songs when the Egyptian army was 
submerged in the Red Sea ? And can Miriam be envious ? 
Strange infatuation! 

But, perhaps, we are really censuring ourselves. 
Listen to the unbiassed voice of conscience. Does it 
not thunder in your ears, “ Thou art the man Art 
thou insensible to its powerful and just remonstrances, 

Wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thy¬ 
self; for thou that judgest doest the same things ?”t O 
bew are of this mean, creeping, reptile spirit ! Persons 
in eminent stations may, in a certain degree, expect to 
* 2 Sam. xii. 7. f Rom. ii. 1. 


132 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPH V. 

suffer from the wiles of envy ; but to suffer from those 
of their own household, and from persons on whose 
friendship they have had the greatest reason to rely, 
must be peculiarly afflictive. If it be possible to add 
one drop to the bitterness of such a portion, it is by being 
envied, and consequently depreciated, by those who are 
associated in the same sacred offi,ce. A remark upon this 
subject cannot be misplaced, the history seems rather 
to claim it. A mortal creature cannut be invested with 
a more important commission than that of the ministry of 
the word. So highly did the apostle of the Gentiles ap¬ 
preciate his work, that, gifted as he was in every requi¬ 
site to discharge it with honour and success, he exclaimed, 
“ Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is 
this grace given, that I should preach amongst the Gen¬ 
tiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.”^ But if each 
heavenly ambassador be really convinced that he and his 
brethren are entrusted with an office at once so digni¬ 
fied in its nature, so useful in its design, so extensive in 
its duties, that no one can adequately fulfil for himself 
what would be sufficient to expend the energies of an 
angel; and that the combined exertions of all the preach¬ 
ers that ever have, or ever will, minister in holy things, 
eannot wholly occupy the sphere of possible usefulness, 
were every power of the mind, and every moment of 
time, made tributary to the service—if this were duly 
considered, surely instead of envying, depreciating, and 
thwarting each other, perfect love must prevail, and 
mutual assistance be incessantly rendered. The world 
is sufficiently disposed to reproach the servants of the 
sanctuary; they should not undervalue each other. 
Nothing can exceed, and no words can express, the 
littleness of attempting to construct our own fame upon 
the ruins of others ; and when this temper exists, as it 
sometimes unquestionably does, amongst those who teach 
humility, it is singularly detestable. Ministers of the 


* Eph. iii. 8. 


MIRIAM. 


133 


divine word should be guardians of each other’s reputa¬ 
tion, aware that the honour, and in some degree the 
success of it depends upon the character of its publishers 
and representatives. Miriam and Aaron should have 
been the last, while, such is human nature, they were the 
first, to envy Moses ! 

Mark the origin of those depreciating reports which 
they contrived to put in circulation. They had taken 
some offence respecting Zipporah, his wife, who is call¬ 
ed the Ethiopian woman. The precise occasion of this 
offence cannot, and need not, be ascertained. Some have 
supposed it was on account of his having married her ; 
but as this had taken place forty years before, and, being 
perfectly legal, could have furnished no just ground of 
crimination, the probability is, that some recent occur¬ 
rence, grounded perhaps on personal and long cherish¬ 
ed antipathy, produced a difference. Some private con¬ 
tention might have existed ; that ungovernable member, 
the tongue, had inflamed resentments ; and a revengeful 
spirit fastened the blame upon Moses, whose only offence 
was, probably, some meek and pacifying word. 

But what connexion subsisted between the marriage 
of Moses with an Ethiopian woman, and the pretensions 
of Aaron and Miriam to an equality with their illustrious 
brother? Truly, none at all. Their conduct is a stri^ 
king display, not only of the virulence of envy, but of 
the progress and resentful nature of anger. It always 
wanders from its subject, and ranges around for new ma¬ 
terials upon which to operate. It possesses the per¬ 
verse capacity of converting every thing into an element 
of mischief, of inventing circumstances, and envenoming 
objections. It seeks to enlist others into its services, 
and to bring every thing into a confederacy against the 
peace of its object. It is limited by no bounds, and re¬ 
strained by no considerations ; it will often, like the exas¬ 
perated judge of Israel, pull down ruin upon its own 
head, for the sake of destroying others. The present 
contention began about Zipporah, but it ended in Moses 

VoL. I. N 


134 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


himself. It was, perhaps, at first a common-place strife ; 
but, at length, it assumed the shape of a settled hostility. 
It was but a spark, and if angry passions had not blown 
it, soon it might have gone out; imprudence and re¬ 
venge raised and extended it into a vast conflagration. 

Family quarrels are, of all other dissensions, the most 
to be deprecated. We should be careful to prevent them, 
and if they occur, take effectual and speedy measures 
for their extinction. Let us not be tenacious of our 
own opinions, or determined upon practising our own 
plans. It becomes the Christian, both for his own sake 
and for the interest of religion, to make every possible 
sacrifice to peace. Pour the oil of gentleness upon the 
stormy billows of strife ; ever remembering that “ a bro¬ 
ther offended is harder to be won than a strong city, 
and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.”"^ 

One expression in this narrative merits particular no¬ 
tice. Let the envious detractor tremble at the words, 
“ the Lord heard it.” It requires not the tone of thunder 
to penetrate the ear of God: his omniscience per¬ 
ceives the secret whisperings of slander, and even the 
inaudible and unexpressed surmises of a perverted 
mind. Moses may have been ignorant of the industri¬ 
ous malignity of his brother and Miriam, or disregard¬ 
ful of any intimations on the subject; for a person of in¬ 
tegrity is unwilling to believe, without very compulso¬ 
ry evidence, the dishonesty of others ; or, if it cannot be 
discredited, he will patiently pursue that course which 
will eventually place injured innocence in the point of 
complete vindication. In this he resembled the great 
Exemplar of every virtue of whom he was an eminent 
antitype, and of whom it is recorded, that “ when he was 
reviled, he reviled not again, but committed himself to 
him that judgeth righteously.”! 

But whether Moses did or did not hear, or, hearing, 
disregarded the detractions of his nearest relatives, God 
observed them, and instantly came down to express liis 
* Prov. xviii. 19. f 1 Pet. ii. 23. 


MIRIAM. 


135 


displeasure. The two delinquents were summoned to 
the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, with their 
much-injured brother: the glory of the Shekinah appear¬ 
ed, and the solemn voice of the divine majesty issued 
from the~ cloud of his presence. The superiority of 
Moses was proclaimed, and an unanswerable question 
proposed to them, “ Wherefore then were ye not afraid 
to speak against my servant Moses ?” As an indication 
of anger, the symbolic cloud instantly removed from the 
tabernacle ; and Miriam, the most forward, and perhaps 
^he first in this transgression, became “ leprous, white 
as snow.”* 

Aarori^was shocked at the sight, and had immediate 
recourse to the man he had before so defamed, humbly 
requesting him to pass over the sin they had perpetrated, 
and entreating his powerful intercession with God on be¬ 
half of their afflicted sister. Moses, obeying at once the 
impulse of humanity, piety, and fraternal attachment, 
pleaded for her restoration. He was graciously heard. 
Miriam was excluded from the camp only seven days, 
during which the journeyings of Israel were suspended, 
to express the displeasure of God at their concurrence 
in her transgression, and to show the kind intermixture 
of mercy with judgment in the divine proceedings. After 
this, the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in 
the wilderness of Paran. 

With this instructive story the history of Miriam 
closes, excepting the brief notice of her death at the 
encampment at Kadesh, where she was buried. Josephus 
relates, that after interring her with great Years before 
solemnity, the people mourned for her a Christ, about 
month. This occurred in the fortieth year 
after the departure from Egypt. Eusebius says, that in 
his time her sepulchre was still to be seen at Kadesh. 

Whether the imputation be true or false, that women 
are particularly addicted to the vice of slander, it cannot 
be deemed unsuitable to suggest a caution upon tliis sub- 

* Numb. xii. 10. 


136 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

ject. Character is a sacred thing, and it is unworthy of 
you to tride with it. To sit in judgment upon others, 
and to pronounce a hasty verdict upon actions which may 
be carelessly misrepresented, or words, if not intention¬ 
ally, yet heedlessly misquoted, w ithout affording an op¬ 
portunity to the condemned individual to speak for him¬ 
self, is unjust in the extreme. But how many excellent 
persons are made the butt of ridicule, or tost about as 
the play-things of a gossipping spirit, which, incapable 
of a direct charge, gratifies its malignity by infusing 
calumnies into the too listening ear of prejudice. An 
idle report is, by this means, magnified and circulated to 
an incalculable extent; or the infirmities of excellent 
characters animadverted upon, for no other purpose 
than to fill up the w^aste moments of a ceremonious visit. 
Women should assume their proper rank, by aspiring to 
the dignity of rational intercourse ; and not degrade 
themselves, and disquiet society, by engaging in petty 
warfare against the reputation of others. 

Let what is termed religious conversation turn rather 
upon thmgs ih?in persons; otherwise men in public sta¬ 
tion, perhaps of equal though dissimilar excellence, will 
be in danger of undue praise or excessive depreciation. 
The favourite preacher will be unmercifully extolled, 
and the unpopular one as cruelly degraded. A clashing 
of opinion will be likely to produce rivalries, and invigo¬ 
rate partialities ; till, probably, the effect of their re¬ 
spective labours is lost upon these fair but injudicious 
critics. Let young women especially, t;ake the hint, and 
set a watch upon the door of their lips.’J Beware of 
indiscriminate censure, or extravagant applause. Regard 
the ministers of the word as the servants of God. Re¬ 
ceive instruction from their lips with all humility, pray 
for their increasing wisdom, and tenderly cherish their 
good name. If a Moses, with all his excellencies, seem 
to you to assume, or in any respect to commit an error, 
do not be the first to publish it abroad in the camp, or to 
aggravate, by misrepresentation, a failing which is blended 


MIRIAM. 


137 


with such acknowledged worth. Remember, it is as 
likely that you should be mistaken in your judgment, as 
that he should be faulty in spirit or conduct; and that if 
your detractions be not visited with an outward token of 
displeasure, resembling the loathsome deformity of Mi¬ 
riam, which required a veil, they render you most un¬ 
lovely in the sight of God and m m. “ The tongue is a 
fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue amongst our 
members, that it delileth the whole body, and setteth on 
fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell. 
For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, 
and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of 
mankind: but the tongue can no man tame ; it is an 
unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”* 

The situation of Miriam during her exclusion from 
the camp suggests an observation on the debasing nature 
©f sin. When engaged in the exercises of religion, and 
taking the lead in the celebration of the overthrow 
of the Egyptian army by the interposing providence of 
God, she appears the glnry of her sex and the ornament 
of her country; but from the moment she indulges a 
guilty passion, her honour is tarnished, her dignity de* 
graded, and her pre-eminence lost; the moral defilement 
she has contracted is marked by an external deformity, 
and issues in a degrading separation. Miriam is deeply 
conscious of her guilt, and confounded at its bitter con¬ 
sequences : she feels that she is a sufterer because she 
was a sinner ; and would no doubt have made any sacrifice 
could it have been possible to regain the forfeited para¬ 
dise of peace and innocency. But we have here a spe¬ 
cimen of the inevitable consequence of sin. It does not 
indeed generally incur immediate and temporal punish¬ 
ment; but it degrades the perpetrator of it in the eyes 
of God, in the opinion of others, (especially the wise 
and good,) and in his own sight: it lowers him in the 
scale of being, at once diminishing his reputation and 
contracting his means of usefulness. If the face of 

♦ James iii. 6—^8. 

N 2 


133 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

Miriam recovered its beauty, and the eyes of Israel 
could discern no external blemishes, it is questionable 
whether a scar would not ever after be discernible 
upon her character: and even should her indulgent 
friends have forgotten, and God have graciously forgiven 
her past iniquities, Miriam, as a true penitent, would 
scarcely ever forgive herself: the very consciousness 
of pardoning mercy would often renew the sensations of 
penitence; and moments of holy joy would ever after 
be bedewed with tears of humiliation. 

From this example it is further obvious, that the hope 
of escaping the divine displeasure on account of sin, 
under the notion of being the professed people of God, 
is altogether delusive ; sin is detestable in the eyes of 
perfect purity zvherever it exists, and can neither escape 
detection nor elude chastisement. Its perpetration by 
his own people is rather a reason for more signal and 
exemplary chastisement, than for any kind of exemption 
from it; because the motive to obedience arising from 
gratitude and other sources is proportionably stronger ; 
and because a contrary proceeding would tend to dis¬ 
parage the divine government, by affording a plausible 
pretence to the doctrine of salvation in sin, and pot f7'oni 
it. The eminence of Miriam rendered her disgrace the 
more requisite as a punishment, and the more salutary 
as an example : the leprosy in her face was a practical 
lesson, which every Israelite could not fail of understand¬ 
ing, and probably would not soon or easily forget. 

It is, besides, not only the necessary tendency of sin 
to procure its own punishment, but such is the appoint¬ 
ment of God : it constitutes an essential part of the 
great system of his moral government to unite them to¬ 
gether ; and no mortal power can disconnect them. 
Sooner or later every transgressor must be humbled ; he 
must fall—by judgment or by penitence—before the 
sword of excision, or into the arms of mercy. Happy 
for us if external visitations produce internal prostration 
of spirit; if, instead of stifl’ening ourselves into rcsisl- 


MIBIAM. 


1S9 


ance, we bend to the inflictions of parental chastisement; 
and if present and temporary sufferings excite a feeling 
which will supersede the necessity of future and more 
awful visitations! 

If, again, Miriam were so severely visited for speak¬ 
ing against Moses, how fatal will prove the consequences 
of resisting Christ! The secret whisperings of envy and 
ambition against this servant of God, occasioned a public 
and awful punishment: what tremendous wrath may not 
they expect who reproach or disregard his beloved Son! 

If they escaped not who refused him that spake on 
earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn away 
from him that speaketh from heaven.”^ 

This remarkable manifestation to Miriam, Aaron, and 
Moses, may remind us of that period which is hastening 
on the rapid wings of time, when ^the descending Judge 
t)f the universe will “ come in the clouds of heaven with 
pow'er and great glory,” “ the glory of the Father and 
all the holy angels,” to summon every class, and all the 
generations of mankind, to his tribunal, and pronounce 
their final, irreversible, everlasting doom: then, like 
Moses, his servants will be vindicated from every charge, 
honoured by witnessing celestials, admitted through the 
gates into the city of the New Jerusalem, and be em- 
paTadised for ever in the embraces of their God. Then, 
like Miriam and Aaron, a guilty race, which has plotted 
against the righteous, and opposed by their impenitence, 
if not their actual persecutions, the prosperity of his 
cause and people, will be driv^en, not into temporary ex¬ 
ile and disgrace, but into ever-during darkness. “ J’hese 
shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the right¬ 
eous into life eternal.”! The pride of Miriam was 
intelligibly marked upon her smitten countenance ; and 
the sin of transgressors will be written by the finger of 
God in appropriate and conspicuous characters upon 
their immortal destinies. Thus will the perfections of the 
^ Heb. xii. 25. i Mat. xxv. 4G. 


HO FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

Deity for ever blaze in the flames of perdition, and irra¬ 
diate the temple of glory ! 

Finally, imitate the conduct of Moses, who, on this oc¬ 
casion, so nobly displayed a conduct which the Redeemer 
of the world thus inculcated as an essential part of his 
religion : “ Pray for them that despitefully use you and 
persecute you.”* His intercession for Miriam, who had 
so cruelly injured him, was prompt and ardent ; instead 
of resenting her calumnies, or triumphing in her merited 
affliction, he prayed for her recovery ! Here we see the 
very spirit of the Gospel under the law ! a Christian in 
the habit of a Jew ! Superior to the age in which he 
lived, he seemed in character and temper to have an¬ 
ticipated a far distant period of evangelical illumination ; 
to have caught, so to speak, by ascending the summits of 
faith and hope, some of the yet unrisen splendour of the 
Sun of Righteousness ; to have been in a sense the dis¬ 
ciple, as he was the most illustrious antitype of Christ, 
even centuries previous to his incarnation ! The cross 
is indeed the centre of union and the point of attraction 
to all ages and nations. There the antediluvian and pa¬ 
triarchal saints associate with those of later times, imbi¬ 
bing one spirit, coalescing upon one principle, meeting 
in one sacred spot, conjoined in one fraternal band ! The 
wise and the good of a former dispensation looked forward 
with anticipating pleasure to the great event, which we 
are permitted to contemplate with retrospective joy. 
Hail, happy hour! when we shall meet with all the re¬ 
deemed in one glorious assembly; not as at present, by 
faith, on mount Calvary, but in reality, on mount Zion— 
in a world where the imperfections of Christians shall be 
removed, and their excellences completed—where Mi¬ 
riam shall not envy Moses, nor Moses be exhibited in 
contrast with Miriam 1 


* Mat V 44. 


OJtPAH, JlXD nVTH. 
CHAPTER VIII.—SECTION I. 

History' of domestic life mo.st instructive—book of Ruth—sketch of the 
family of Elimelech while residing in Moab—reflections arising out of 
a view of their circumstances—Naomi’s resolution to return, and that of 
her daughters-in-law to accompany her—Orpah soon quits her mother 
and sister—her character, and that of Ruth—requirements of religion— 
arrival of Naomi and Ruth at Bethlehem—feelings of the former. 

Domestic life furnishes the most attractive and 
the most instructive species of history. If it do not 
present an equal diversity of incident with the narra¬ 
tives of rising or falling empires, in whose mighty con¬ 
cerns every passion of human nature is interested, it 
possesses the superior advantage of “ coming home to 
men’s business and bosoms.” 

The scene of general history is frequently placed in 
a region which, to the great proportion of mankind, 
is inaccessible ; and, however we may admire its prin¬ 
cipal actors, they seldom furnish examples capable of 
being exhibited for imitation. The sphere in which 
they moved is so totally different, so far remote from 
Hhat in which our duty usually lies, that the know¬ 
ledge of their achievements can conduce but little to 
the great purposes of practical improvement. The 
story of private life possesses a very different charac¬ 
ter ; we are at once introduced to our own sphere ; 
and although it may relate to a class in society either 
very much inferior or superior in point of station to 
ourselves, it necessarily brings into review relations 
which we all sustain, situations we have all to occu¬ 
py, and duties we have all to discharge. Whether, 
therefore, a princess or a peasant be the principal 
actor, the central point round which every circum¬ 
stance revolves, and from which it derives interest and 


142 FEMALE SCRIPTtJRE BIOGRAPHY. 

distinction, it claims and will repay our serious at¬ 
tention. 

Independently of these general considerations, the 
history of Ruth, in connexion with that of Naomi and 
Orpah, has been always regarded as singularly inte¬ 
resting : it is a most pathetic tale, illustrative of the 
operation of the tenderest of the domestic affections, 
in unison with genuine religion: it exhibits the most 
artless simplicity of manners, the most virtuous sen¬ 
sibilities, and the most affecting interpositions of Provi¬ 
dence. It is at once romantic and true, sublime and 
simple, marvellous and natural: it constitutes, more¬ 
over, a connecting link in the great chain of provi¬ 
dence, and an important incident in the history of re¬ 
demption. 

The sacred book, which derives its name from Ruth, 
was in all probability written by Samuel ; this is the 
concurrent opinion of Jews and Christians. It may 
be considered as supplementary to the book of Judges, 
and introductory to the history of David, whose de¬ 
scent from Judah through Pharez is distinctly traced 
in the genealogy of Boaz. 

According to Jewish tradition, Ruth was of the 
royal race of Moab, a nation descended from Lot, and 
settled on the borders of the salt sea in the confines 
of Judah. She married Mahlon, the son of Elimelech, 
who lived in Moab in consequence of a famine which 
prevailed in Judea. After his death, relying on the 
promises made to the tribe of Judah, to which her 
husband belonged, she became a proselyte ; and thus 
the Holy Spirit, by recording the adoption of a Gen¬ 
tile woman into that family from which the Messiah 
was to descend, might intend to intimate the compre¬ 
hensive design of the Christian dispensation. “ It must 
be remarked also, that in the estimation of the Jews 
it was disgraceful to David to have derived his birth 
from a Moabitess; and Shimei, in his revilings against 
him, is supposed by the Jews to have tauntingly reflected 


NAOMI, ORPAH, AND RUTH. 


143 


on his descent from Ruth. This book, therefore, contains 
an intrinsic proof of its own verity, inasmuch as it records 
a circumstance so little flattering to the sovereign of 
Israel and it is scarcely necessary to appeal to its 
admission into the canon of Scripture for a testimony 
of its authentic character; or to mention that the 
evangelists, in describing our Saviour’s descent, follow 
its genealogical accounts.”! 

This book commences with a statement of the ca- 
Years before ^^mitous situation of Israel in consequence of 
Christ, about a famine, one of those messengers of di¬ 
vine displeasure sometimes commissioned to 
scourge a guilty land, and chastise them into obedience. 
Elimelech, a resident in Bethlehem-Judah, was compel¬ 
led, probably with many others, to quit his beloved home, 
and seek a temporary subsistence in the country of Moab, 
which, although favoured at this time with the blessings 
of temporal prosperity and abundance, was destitute of 
those religious means, without which, in the view of a 
good man, Eden would lose its charms, and life its value. 
He took with him his wife Naomi and his two sons Mahlon 
and Chilion ; and, undor the guidance of that Providence 
which once tamed the lions and restrained the fires of 
Chaldea, found an asylum in the bosom of Israel’s ene¬ 
mies. 

In this exile, a family so ancient and reputable sunk 
into such degradation excites our compassion ; still more 
so, when, in tracing their adventurous history, we find 
them assaulted by new forms of sorrow and calamity. 
Elimelech dies, and Naomi is left with her two sons. 
The young men afterward marry, the one Orpah, the 
other Ruth, both natives of Moab. It seems as though 
the disconsolate widow were beginning to dry up her 
tears, and to rebuild her fallen house by those matrimo¬ 
nial alliances which tended to naturalize them in the 

* IIiERON. in Trad. Heb. ad 1 Kings 3. Calmkt’s Preface to Ruth, 
and Ch. iv. 22 . 

f Graf’s Key to the Old Testament. 


144 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHV. 

country ; but whether the use of these idolatrous mate¬ 
rials was displeasing to God, or whether it was deemed 
requisite to detach the mind of Naomi, by repeated afflic¬ 
tions, from a soil in which her affections were becoming 
too deeply rooted, her two sons also died in a few years, 
and the three females were left to grapple with adversity 
alone. The original state and character of the young 
women is uncertain, but they became proselytes to the 
Jewish religion. They might have become so previously 
to their union with their now departed husbands, whom, 
if the sacred narrative had been more detailed and mi¬ 
nute, we might possibly have had occasion to applaud for 
their pious discrimination, rather than to censure or sus¬ 
pect for impropriety of conduct; at least, under all the 
circumstances, we are by no means justified in severe ani¬ 
madversions upon their choice. But, whatever might 
have been their intentions, the Supreme Disposer was 
w'orking with a wise but mysterious secrecy, to promote 
his designs—designs which were linked with a succes¬ 
sion of events extending to far distant generations. 

Poor Naomi ! how desolate thy condition ! how deep 
thy depression ! Wav« after wave rolls over thy defence¬ 
less head! And yet, where is the human being to whom 
no comforts are left ? Thy daughters remain, and even if 
they had been removed, thy pious spirit would not have 
sorrowed over their graves, as one that has no hope! 
Thy religion has supplied thee with sources of consola¬ 
tion unknown to the world, and indestructible by calamity, 
time, or death—“ The eternal God is thy refuge,” “ and 
underneath are the everlasting arms.” 

The rapid changes in this family cannot fail to remind 
us of the instability of earthly possessions and enjoy¬ 
ments ; nor ought we to forget the wisdom and the good¬ 
ness of that divine superintendence, which holds all these 
changes in subserviency to his will. How impressive is 
the language of Inspiration, “ we all do fade as a leaf 


I 


* Isa, Ixjv, 6 . 


NAOMI, ORPAH, AND RUTIf. 


145 


—and how illustrative of the present tragical history 1 
When the sun of summer beams upon the glowing land¬ 
scape, and, ascending some eminence, you survey the 
valleys covered over with corn, the hills adorned with 
verdure, the trees bending their abundant foliage to the 
gale, the flowers in “yellow meads of asphodel and 
amaranthine bowers” perfuming the air with their odours, 
you seem for a moment to inhabit regions of enchantment 
and perpetual beauty. A month or two intervenes—you 
reascend your former elevation, once more to feast the 
senses—to admire and adore the Dispenser of these bless¬ 
ings—but O how faded ! The bright beams of the sun 
are shrouded in a wintry cloud—the corn has disap¬ 
peared—the flocks retire—the trees are bereft of their 
foliage—the flowers lie scattered on the ground. Such, 
such is human life ; thus we and our families fade ! to¬ 
day in vigour—to-morrow in dust ! Where are genera¬ 
tions past ? where are our ancestors ? where our imme¬ 
diate predecessors ? where our early associates, and 
many of the individuals that have enlivened our social 
hours in maturer life ? Like the leaves which cluster on 
the ground in autumn, and almost obstruct the path of the 
traveller, they seemed to have dropped in quick succes¬ 
sion, and to lie in faded heaps on the road that leads into 
eternity. And, alas ! with an indifference too nearly re¬ 
sembling that which is apparent in the unheeding passen¬ 
ger, who tramples autumnal foliage beneath his feet, we 
tread on the graves of departed ages, and neglect to imi¬ 
tate the example of the pious dead. 

Pause and reflect, “ we all do fade.” Whatever our 
circumstances or connexions, the inevitable dominion of 
death extends over all. The leaves may occupy a higher 
or a iower station on the tree, they may be suspended on 
the loftiest or the lowliest branches—but they all drop 
off; and we may be rich or poor, learned or illiterate, 
young or old, the house of the grave is “ appointed for 
all living.” Providence in mercy permits the union of 
families long to remain unbroken; and, at length—^in 

VoL. I. O 



146 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


mercy too, whatever the suggestions of despondency- 
dissolves it. The parent expires, and the children fol¬ 
low ; till, perhaps, the name only survives, like a tree 
bared to the storm of winter thrown down by the blast, 
and at length rotting into dust. 

Mournfully fascinating, however, and instructing as these 
considerations appear, they must not divert us longer from 
the narrative. Naomi, at the distance of ten years, che¬ 
rished a constant anxiety respecting what passed in 
Israel; and, weaned by repeated trials, if not still more 
so by Moabitish idolatry, from her present situation, she 
heard with pleasure, “ that the Lord had visited his peo¬ 
ple, in giving them bread upon which she determined 
to return, and take her two daughters-in-law with her into 
Judea. This secondary kindred often proves a source 
of the most unhappy jealousies and animosities in 
domestic Fife, but the harrnony in which these women 
lived, and with which they concerted measures for their 
removal, indicated at least the goodness of all their dis¬ 
positions. The}'^ were, besides, in equal distress. Afflic¬ 
tion, in almost every form, is beneficial in its tendency ; 
and nothing is more calculated to strengthen mutual at¬ 
tachment than common calamity. 

How often is distress, similar to this, aggravated by un¬ 
kindness ! Moroseness on the one part, and undutifulness 
on the other, excite the mother-in-law against the daugh¬ 
ter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against the mother- 
in-law ; whereas reason, religion, and even self-love, re¬ 
quire a different conduct. The poverty of Naomi was 
no objection to Orpah and Ruth to accompany her in her 
departure from Moab ; but at once, abandoning every 
minor or selfish consideration, they prepared to attend 
her unprotected way. They would not suffer her to 
drink alone of the bitter cup, but resolved to encourage 
her by sharing it. 

A bitter cup indeed it was. Who can imagine, with¬ 
out a painful sympathy, the situation of three friendless 
women, each a widow, and quitting a country where they 


?^AOMI, ORPAII, AND RUTH. 


147 


left behind so many sad recollections! There they had 
lost the dearest of earthly connexions, who, had they 
been preserved to this hour, would have soothed their 
sorrows, sustained their spirits, and accompanied their 
journey ! The voice of parental and conjugal tenderness 
was silent in the grave ! Their natural timidity had no 
shelter—their tears were wiped away by no kind hand— 
their steps were supported by no sustaining arm—the 
w'orld was a barren wilderness before them—they seemed 
to be alone, as after a shipwreck—and they had no im¬ 
mediate refuge but in themselves, and—for there was 
still another hope, an observant friend, a helper to the 
needy in his distress—in God ! 

Having proceeded a short distance, Naomi, over¬ 
whelmed with a sense of the disinterested kindness of 
her daughters-in-law, even more than with her own afflic¬ 
tion, begged them to leave her, and return to their re¬ 
spective homes. She adverts to their past amiable and 
affectionate conduct; and, severe as parting would prove 
to her maternal heart, she wished them still to be happy 
in the land of their nativity. Commending them to the 
benediction of the God of Israel, and expressing her de¬ 
sire for their happiness in the formation of future con¬ 
nexions, “ she kissed them” in token of a long and last 
farewell. 

What fondness and what agony blended in that embrace ! 
What a separation! It was no moment for words; the 
lovely daughters could only weep ! A thousand past en¬ 
dearments recurred to their memory, a thousand uncer¬ 
tainties springing from the bosom of futurity, presented 
themselves to their minds. They had cherished a mu¬ 
tual esteem—they were blended into one in feeling, in in¬ 
terest, in all that can render life desirable. Their dark 
path had hitherto been enlightened by the beam of af¬ 
fection ; and was the sun to set upon their day for ever ? 

Alas! what a land of mourning is this! what heart¬ 
rending separations are we called to experience on earth ; 
and what an hour of parting from the tenderest of con- 


148 


fejUle scripture biography. 


nexions will soon arrive, when, death interposing his atl- 
thority to break the ties of nature and of friendship, we 
must bid adieu to those who would indeed gladly accom¬ 
pany us, hut must survive to walk alone in the wilderness. 

We are, however, attributing too much to this formi¬ 
dable power. He may break the ties of nature—but he 
cannot dissolve the union of Christian friendship. The 
pious shall meet again in a region uninfested by malignity, 
and where the long annals of everlasting ages shall record 
uo day of separation, and no instance of death. 

It was kind, it was disinterested, it was maternal in 
Naomi to propose this parting ; but they were not to 
be persuaded. As soon as tears permitted utterance, 
they exclaimed, “ Surely we will return with thee unto 
thy people.”—“ We have taken our resolution, and 
cannot depart from it. To go with thee is indeed a 
trial—but to go from thee is incalculably worse. Thou 
shalt not be forsaken. We will be inseparable.” Na¬ 
omi remonstrated, and kindly repeated her commands. 
She called them daughters^ an appellation they had well 
merited by their ardent and unabated attachment, earn¬ 
estly entreating them to “ turn again ;” and intimating 
that they could not reasonably entertain a hope of her 
having sons whom they might marry, and therefore 
they could not accompany her without detriment to 
themselves. She was afflicted at the idea of their being 
widows in the days of their youth ; and especially that, 
for her sake they should continue in so solitary a condi¬ 
tion, voluntarity resigning to her comfort the joys of con¬ 
nubial love. 

Again they wept~but from this moment, Orpah and 
Ruth take a different course. The former fails in her 
resolution, embraces her mother-in-law, and returns; 
the latter “ cleaves to her,” and remains the solitary 
example of unconquerable affection, the heroine of the 
future narrative. 

In the character of Orpah,' we perceive an exempli¬ 
fication of that imperfect obedience which character- 


NAOMI, ORPAH, AND RUTH. 


149 


izes those who have been induced to pay some degree 
of attention to the Gospel of Christ, but who have been 
influenced by certain subordinate motives to retrace 
their steps. She contemplated future poverty with alarm, 
and cannot be exculpated from a charge of secretly 
preferring the service of Chemosh, the Moabitish god, 
to the service of Jehovah. Her aflection for Naomi had, 
perhaps, induced her hitherto to dissemble ; and though 
she persevered to a considerable extent, when the final 
resolution was to be taken, she paused—hesitated— 
trembled—and drew back. She could not part with all 
for this service. In the days of Christ, many treated 
him with respect, listened to his words, admired, and, 
like the young ruler, even wished to become his follow* 
er, but excited the best hopes only to disappoint them. 
Happy, thrice happy, they who take up the cross, and 
follow him through much tribulation; nobly resisting 
the allurements of the world, the demands of earthly 
friendship, and even the interdictions of human au¬ 
thority, for the sake of Christ and his Gospel! The 
martyr’s crown awaits them, for they display the martyr’s 
spirit. 

At a superficial glance, the address of Naomi to Ruth, 
upon this occasion, seems altogether extraordinary, 
“ Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her peo¬ 
ple, and unto her gods ; return thou after thy sister- 
in-law.” Did she then really wish to urge this young 
widow to imitate the conduct of her sister, not only in 
returning to her relations, but to the service of the gods 
of Moab? Whatever opinion she entertained of her 
daughter-in-jaw’s piety, could she really be desirous 
of placing her in circumstances of such temptation and 
danger? This supposition would be at least unchari¬ 
table, and contradicts probability. It was rather a trial 
of her sincerity in religion, and an evidence of her 
determination to use no compulsory measures, not 
^ven maternal influence, to coerce her conscience, 

Her language was, besides, premonitory and warning, 

O 2 


150 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY'. 

t 

similar to the permission given to Balaam, who though 
apparently admonished to go and curse Israel, was really 
interdicted. 

Ruth received the appeal in a manner worthy of her 
character, and the most satisfactory to Naomi. “ En¬ 
treat me not to leave thee, or to return from following 
after thee ; for whither thou goest I will go, and where 
thou lodgest I will lodge ; thy people shall be my peo¬ 
ple, and thy God my God. Where thou diest will I 
die, and there will 1 be buried : the Lord do so to me 
and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.” 
If the pious origin of this attachment were not sufficient¬ 
ly apparent, we should be tempted to call it romantic ; 
but founded as it was in religion, we must contemplate 
it as a rare specimen of a perfection in friendship, scarce¬ 
ly ever attained in the cold and chilling atmosphere of 
this world. Nothing could have so ripened and matured 
it, but the beamings of heavenly love, which rendered 
even an unfriendly soil productive of so choice a fruit. 

Notwithstanding the indigent circumstances of Naomi, 
her daughter-in-law persisted in accompanying her, 
and thus voluntarily chose affliction with the people of 
God in preference to hereditary affluence and distinc- 
(ion. With deliberate resolution, and persevering con¬ 
sistency, she adhered to her purpose, calculating upon 
all the inconveniences that might result, but not fearing 
them. She turned her back upon the glory of the world^ 
neither dreading its frowns nor soliciting its patronage. 
She knew that she could live h.appily without human 
applause, but not without divine approbation Her 
early prejudices were subdued by principle, and she 
felt no hesitation in discarding the gods of Moab to pro¬ 
cure the love of the God of Israel. In fact she did 
choose tlie path of true honour and renown. The ser¬ 
vant of God is the greatest character in the universe, and 
will eventually be exalted to a situation which will 
fully and for ever disclose the perfect nothingness of 
terrestrial glory, and the shadow'y nature of all that mor- 
-tals have been deluded to imagine substantial 


NAOMI, ORPAH, AND RUTH. ' 


161 


This part of the history may serve to suggest the 
beneficial inquiry, whether we habitually cherish an 
equal zeal for our religion, with that which this young 
Moabitess manifested ? It would be easy to descant upon 
the superiority of our advantages, and to urge our in¬ 
creased responsibility; but do we equal her in the firm¬ 
ness of our faith, and the steadfastness of onr profession ? 
It may not be a question, whether we are likely to be 
called to similar or equal trials ; but the most important 
consideration is, whether through the grace of God we 
stand prepared for whatever trials await us in the path 
of duty ; and whether, with fewer difficulties and greater 
advantages, we at least display an equal decision of cha¬ 
racter ? We have sabbaths—do we keep them ? We 
have Bibles—do we read them? We have religious and 
social opportunities—do we improve them ? We have 
pious friends—do we, like Ruth, cleave to them ? Do 
we come out from the world, and are we separate, 
saying to the church of Christ, and adhering to our pur¬ 
pose, “ We will go with you, for we have heard that 
God is with you ?”* Association is a test of character. 
The companion exhibits the man. 

Candour and sincerity may be recommended from 
this example, as the best policy. We should not be 
ashamed of our religion : an open avowal like that of 
Ruth which prevented any farther importunity to return to 
the idolatries of Moab, is calculated to prevent a thou¬ 
sand perplexities into which the wavering, the timid, 
and the dissembling, inevitably fall. Persons of this 
description fail in every respect. They dissatisfy both 
parties, sacrifice their own peace of mind, and incur all 
the pains, without securing any of 'the pleasures of 
genuine piety. Hesitating between a sense of duty and 
an inclination to sin, trembling amidst conflicting attrac¬ 
tions and opposing interests, they never attain to dignity 
of character or repose of spirit. They lie at the mer¬ 
cy of every foe, of every passion, of every change. 

* Zech. viii. 23. 



152 


FfiMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


Without the pilotage of principle, they know not what 
course to take, and are every moment in danger of a 
fatal wreck. “ He that wavereth is like a wave of the 
sea, driven with the wind and tossed ! . . . A double- 
minded man is unstable in all his ways.*” 

It is unquestionably a duty devolving on all who believe 
in Christ, to “ confess him and to this candid avowal 
he has himself attached, not only the purest felicities on 
earth, but the honour of a public acknowledgment of 
their persons and services before assembled ages in the 
day of judgment, together with a final admission into 
the paradise of his presence. It is indeed criminal to 
profess attachment to him when we do not feel it, and 
it is also highly improper to cherish such an attachment 
without daring to avow it. If the former must be cha¬ 
racterized as hypocrisy, the latter cannot be exculpated 
from the charge of sinful timidity ; if the one be presump¬ 
tuous boldness, the other is unholy fear. 

To avow our principles, on all suitable occasions, 
with unshrinking firmness, is essential to integrity, and 
distinctly claimed by religion. The worldly motives 
which influenced some of the chief rulers in the days of 
our Lord, if not to disavow, at least to withhold their 
public concurrence with his doctrines, are mentioned in 
the Gospel to their everlasting dishonour. They are not 
exhibited as specimens of violent hostility, but of that spi¬ 
rit of neutrality which resulted from political feelings, 
and which, being no less deemed a real enmity, will 
receive its appropriate condemnation. “ Nevertheless, 
among the chief rulers also many believed on him; 
but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, 
lest they should be put out of the synagogue. For 
they loved the praise of men more than the praise of 
God.”t 

This kind of preference seems to be the result of 
strange infatuation^ the origin of which demands a se? 
rious inquiry. In part, it may be accounted for from 
* James 5. 6—f John xii. 42, 43. 


Naomi, orpah, and ruth. 


153 


the impression which sensible and near objects pro¬ 
duce on the mind, in comparison with those which 
are less obvious and more distant. Visible things at¬ 
tract attention, while those which are invisible, being 
, placed beyond the sphere of sense, remain unnoticed* 
An object which is really greater, appears less when 
it is more remote. Eternity seems, in human estima¬ 
tion, extremely distant ; its crown of glory afar off; 
all the possessions of the New Jerusalem disappear 
from view, when covered with the mists of futurity. 
We are easily affected by loud applauses, gay scenes, 
and temporal good. The secret whispers of an ap¬ 
proving conscience are less audible, the smiles of God 
less perceptible to a depraved and earthly mind. In 
addition to which, temporal inconveniences or dangers 
are frequently connected with a conduct which secures 
the approbatioD of God, « oriuiinal apprehension of 
which produces indifference and distaste for religion. 
When the choice lies between shame, poverty, afflic¬ 
tion, the sacrifice of worldly interest, and even death 
itself in the one balance—and temporal distinction, af¬ 
fluence, ease, advancement, in the other—many will 
hesitate, with Agrippa, few determine, with Moses In 
the present history one was taken, the other left. The 
experiment has been since sufficiently tried upon a large 
scale, and proofs are perpetually accumulating, that the 
temper and conduct of Orpah were coincident with 
those of the great majority in the world. 

The narrative of the journey to the place of Naomi’s 
early residence, is comprised in one short sentence ; 
“ So they two went until they came to Bethlehem.” 
We are left in ignorance of those circumstances which 
curiosity would wish to explore in so remarkable a 
removal. Who can doubt, that in a distance of at 
least one hundred and twenty miles over mountains and 
rivers, these female travellers, unprotected, friendless, 
on foot, and seeking day by day a precarious assistance 
from the wild luxuriancy of -nature, or the occasional 


154 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY* 

hospitality of the stranger, must have encountered re¬ 
peated perils, and often deemed themselves irretrieva¬ 
bly lost. But there was an eye that watched them, 
of whose observance they were not ignorant; an arm 
that protected them, on whose powerful support they 
leaned by faith, and leaned not in vain. He can never 
■ be destitute who has God for his father; he can never 
be lost, in whatever region he wanders, who has God 
for his guide! In the adventurous journey of life, 
take his proffered aid, ye children of adversity! re¬ 
pose in his goodness, having committed your way to 
him, ye widowed mourners! while God is on his throne, 
ye cannot inhabit a fatherless world, ye cannot be desti¬ 
tute of efficient aid ! “ A Father of the fatherless, and 

a Judge of the widows, is God in his holy habita¬ 
tion.”* 

In a small town like Bctklokom, tho arrival of these 
strangers would naturally awaken inquiry. After an 
absence of ten years, the inhabitants probably never 
expected to see Naomi again. Such is the vicissitude 
of human affairs, that within a few years many strange 
mutations occur, even in places of no great extent. 
Of her former friends or acquaintances, some were, 
no doubt, consigned to the grave ; and her own ap¬ 
pearance and circumstances were so altered since her 
departure, that the voice of friendship, the congratula¬ 
tion of love, seems to have subsided into the idle 
language of wonderment, “ Is this Naomi ?” 

It is —but the mention of her name is a caustic to 
the wounds of her heart. The endearments attached 
to that beloved and significant appellation are fled with 
departed time, and Bethlehem no longer beholds her 
in a situation to command respect, to excite envy, or 
to purchase attention. Her husband, her children, are 
BO more !—one, one only comfort remains—one friend, 
one solace in adversity—one ray of light in the dark 
hour ! Amidst universal desertion, Ruth has not for- 

* Ps. Ixviii. 


JfAOMI, ORPAH, AND RUTH. 


15& 


saken her; but is become her joy in sorrow, her 
companion in solitude, her prop in decrepit age ! Can 
we wonder that she wishes to discard a name which 
awakened such recollections, and only recalled the 
dream of happiness ? “ Call me not Naomi^ call me 

Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with 
me. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me 
home again empty ; why then call ye me Naomi, see¬ 
ing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Al¬ 
mighty hath afflicted me ?” 

There is something in these words which charity 
requires us to excuse. If, under the peculiar cir¬ 
cumstances in which she was at present placed, the 
name of Naomi, which signifies pleasant, distracted her, 
and she wished rather to adopt that of Mara, im¬ 
porting bitterness, her impatience must not be inter¬ 
preted in the worst sense. After long absence, it is, 
natural to anticipate a return home, and a rush of 
joy pervades even unfeeling minds, when the spire 
of their native village, the smoke of their native ham¬ 
let, especially the roof of their native cottage, first 
strikes upon the sight. Friends, family, neighbours, 
early scenes and pleasures, recur with a force which 
gives the air of enchantment to the long-lost scene. 
But every feeling of this nature was, in the case of 
Naomi, checked by different associations ; the darkness 
of the sepulchre converted this day into midnight, 
and this lovely spot into a desolate wilderness ! 

There is, moreover, something in Naomi’s remon¬ 
strance, which sympathy would lead us to pity, and 
experience, in some degree, to blame. She commits 
an evident mistake in attributing the dispensations she 
had suffered, to a testimony against her on the part 
of the supreme Disposer. Viewing past events through 
the discolouring medium of present affliction, and inca¬ 
pable of perceiving their secret and concurrent design, 
she forms a conclusion, which is rather the effect of tem¬ 
porary depression of mind, than of a settled canviction of 


156 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


judgment. We cannot doubt, indeed, that the impression 
was evanescent; but it seems allied to that of the impa¬ 
tient patriarch, who exclaimed, “ All these things are 
against me.” That eminent servant of God enjoyed the 
privilege of living to a period in which the divine purpo¬ 
ses were fully developed, and of seeing that what he 
deemed hostile circumstances, were really conducive to 
the most wise and felicitous results. Had Jacob departed 
during the interval, and while the mysterious plan was 
yet unaccomplished, his grey hairs would have gone down 
with sorrow to the grave, and the cloud of mystery would 
have been suspended over his dying hour. Such is the 
usual lot of the righteous. Life, in general, does not af¬ 
ford a space sufficiently ample, a period sufficiently pro¬ 
tracted, for the complete execution of the great purposes 
of Infinite Goodness with regard to our real interests ; 
and we murmur, because we cannot penetrate his ar¬ 
rangements. Patience, however, should be supported by 
the consideration that either in this, or in a future state 
of existence, the day of satisfactory explanation will 
arrive. 

But there is a sentiment pervading the whole of this 
appeal, which, notwithstanding its partial defects, piety 
must warmly approve. Every thing is imputed to “ the 
Lord.” Naomi sees his hand in whatever occurrence she 
has witnessed. To him she imputes the fulness of her 
prosperity, and the emptiness of her adversity. In every 
change, in every place, she beholds and bows to the Al¬ 
mighty. When this is happily the prevailing sentiment, 
the storm of angry passions will soon subside, the mur- 
murings of discontent cease, and the clear shining of 
comfort break forth from behind the cloud. 

“ The Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” This is 
enough! Angels and blessed spirits shall not monopolize 
the strain of gratitude and acknowledgment. Mortal 
voices shall join immortal harps, saying, “Hallelu¬ 
jah !” 


^AVlOwW, ORPAH, A;yi) RUTH. 

SECTION II. 

Time of the return to Bethlehem—Ruth offers to go and glean—dispositions 
indicated by this proposal—she happens upon the field of Boaz—his 
kindness—their conversation—additional favours—Ruth’s return home 
—her mother-in-iaw’s wish to connect her in marriage with Boaz—the 
measures she suggests, and which her daughter adopts with ultimate 
success—their marriage—birth of a son—concluding remarks. 

Tales of fictitious wo, and of splendid distress, may 
alone be capable of fascinating those who recline on 
the lap of luxury, and who seek amusement, without soli¬ 
citing instruction ; but, among persons who possess any 
taste for genuine simplicity, any delight in the sacred em¬ 
ployment of tracing the operations of infinite wisdom in 
the works of Providence, any desire for their own men¬ 
tal and spiritual improvement, and who have not yet 
learned of dissipated folly to despise 

“ The short and simple annals of the poor 

the remaining circumstances of the narrative introduced in*> 
to the preceding chapter, cannot fail of exciting interest. 

That God, who promised Noah, that “ while the earth 
remaineth, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and 
summer and winter, and day and night, shall not 
cease and who “ visits the earth and waters it, great¬ 
ly enriching it with the river of God which is full of 
water, and prepares them corn when he has so provided 
for it ;”t having at this period dispensed fertility to the 
fields of Bethlehem, the humble travellers from Moab 
chose, or rather, were appointed by a superior influence 
to return in the season of barley-harvest. This was pro¬ 
bably at the commencement of the month of May.| 

* Gen. viii. 22. f Ps. Ixv. 9. 

I Comp; Harmer’s Observations, vol. i. p. 78, 79. 

Voi., I. P 





158 female scripture biography# 

But whither shall the wretched fugitives turn for as¬ 
sistance and support ? It was indeed a time of plenty, 
but they were in extreme poverty. Golden harvests 
waved around them, but having no fields to reap, they 
were sorrowful amidst universal gladness, and depend¬ 
ed upon precarious means of subsistence 

Ruth proposed to her mother-in-law to allow her to go 
and glean in any field where she could obtain the per¬ 
mission of the proprietor ; to which Naomi readily con¬ 
sented. As a Moabite, she was probably ignorant, that 
what she regarded as a favour^ was bestowed upon the 
needy as a right by the God of Israel. When thou cuttest 
down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in 
the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it; it shall be 
for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow ; 
that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of 
thine hands.”* This law is more than once repeated, 
and Ruth had a peculiar claim upon the liberality of its 
provisions, as uniting all the three species of wretchedness 
in her individual case. She was indeed a stranger, an or- 
phan, and a widow. 

The proposal of Ruth upon this occasion is, in many 
respects, illustrative of her estimable character. It 
furnishes a specimen of that respectful treatment which is 
due from the younger relative, to those whom venerable 
age and long experience have rendered their superiors. 
She would do nothing without Naomi; but consults her 
wishes, and seeks her concurrence in attempting to pro¬ 
cure subsistence by means which she deemed the best 
adapted to their present poverty. A churlish temper 
would have submitted with extreme reluctance, and ma¬ 
ny taunting reproaches to what might easily have been 
represented as the drudgery and degradation of the glean¬ 
er’s field; but this excellent daughter-in-law displayed 
a spirit most worthy of imitation. 

Her reflecting kindness may be recommended to the 
notice of the inconsiderate and unfeeling. Offering her¬ 
self to the laborious but necessary service, she is far from 

* Deut. xxiv. 1^. 


4 


NAOMI, ORPAH, AND RUTH. 


169 


hinting any wish that Naomi should either accompany her 
to the field, or take measures to spare her, by seeking 
the aid of her richer relations, or the casual contributions 
of others. She wished to extend her support to the 
wearied and decaying nature of her beloved relative, and 
to use every possible exertion to alleviate her anxieties, 
to minister to her comfort, and to assist her infirmity. 
“ Let me now go to the field.” Amiable, generous, kind- 
hearted woman ! Thou wert anxious to procure for thy 
poor, afflicted, aged mother, all the repose which her 
advanced life seemed to require, to wipe away the tear 
from her dimmed eye and furrowed cheek, and as far as 
possible, to dissipate the clouds that hovered about the 
setting beam of her earthly existence ! 

If there be one scene of domestic life pre-eminently 
attractive, *it is that of a lovely daughter manifesting a 
promptitude and zeal to alleviate the sorrows, and to aid 
the weakness of a parent, by those nameless and number¬ 
less assiduities which bespeak a genuine affection. Her 
own works praise her, and the mere flatterer’s tongue is 
awed into respectful silence. How deplorable is it to wit¬ 
ness the impatience of some young persons who think 
every little exertion an insufferable effort, a trouble, and a 
fatigue ; and who forget the maternal fondness which che¬ 
rished their infancy, the wakefulness that guarded their 
sickness, the love that never slept. 

As Ruth was characterized by a virtuous sensibility, 
the proposal she made distinguished her also as active and 
industrious. Although her mother^in-law was advanced 
in years, she being in the vigour of her days, determined 
to devote her health and strength to procure subsistence. 
She did not waste her time in complaining, or sit down in 
a state of inactive despondency ; but was alive to the du¬ 
ties of her lowly station. The poorest individual, who 
cheerfully fulfils his obligations, and exerts himself by an 
honest industry to maintain himself and his family, is in- 


360 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIt)aRAPHV. 

expressibly more respectable in a wise man’s estimation, 
than pampered luxury lolling on the couch of indulgence, 
and dreaming away existence in slothfulness and pomp. _ 
Real worth unquestionably consists in the proper occupa¬ 
tion of that sphere, whatever it may be, which Provi¬ 
dence has assigned us : and that person who is “ not 
slothful in business,” but “ fervent in spirit, serving the 
Lord,”* secures the esteem of the good, and what is in¬ 
finitely more important, the approbation of God. Idle¬ 
ness is no less a perversion of the designs of nature, than 
detrimental to our personal happiness. It not only ren¬ 
ders its unhappy devotees useless to society, but burthen- 
some to themselves. All beings, through every grada¬ 
tion of existence, from the toiling emmet to the flaming 
angel, are formed for activity and exertion. Nor ought 
we, who are privileged to live under the Cliristian dis¬ 
pensation, to forget, that Jesus Christ himself, by his hum¬ 
ble appearance and lowly occupation, as the Son of a car¬ 
penter, has elevated honest industry to a just and honour¬ 
able distinction. 

Accidentally, so far as related to herself, Ruth went 
and gleaned in the field of Boaz ; but she was guided by 
an invisible hand. This proprietor was a man of great 
opulence, and a relative of Naomi. Coming from Bethle¬ 
hem to his reapers, and having exchanged their mutual 
salutations according to the pious custom of the times,! 
he inquired of the superintendant, or steward, the name 
of the young woman he observed gleaning amongst the 
sheaves. Ruth, it appears, attracted his particular no¬ 
tice. Even a superficial reader might be struck with 
the astonishing providential coincidences in this story ; 
and nothing but the most perverse infidelity can refuse 

* Rom. xii. 11. 

I There is something inimitably beautiful in this ancient practice, and in 
(he language of their mutual address, which is preserved in the inspired 
narrative. “ And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the 
reapers. The Lord be with you. And they answ'ered him, The Lord bless 
thee.” Ch. ii. 4. 


i^AOMI, ORPAH, AND RlTTH^ 161 

to admit, that the God who had conducted this interest¬ 
ing widow from Moab to Bethlehem, and from Bethle¬ 
hem into the field of the reapers, guided the steps and 
awakened the solicitude of Boaz on this occasion. 

“ And the servant that was set over the reapers an¬ 
swered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came 
back with Naomi out of the country of Moab. And she 
said, I pray you let me glean and gather after the reapers 
among the sheaves ; so she came, and hath continued 
even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little 
in the house.” The rich are frequently reluctant to 
acknowledge their poor connexions, and in the great 
majority of instances, a discovery like this would rather 
have averted than conciliated the regards of an affluent 
proprietor from the humble individual he found to be 
the daughter-in-law of his indigent relative. Superior, 
however, to unwarrantable prejudices and a ridiculous 
vanity, Boaz listened to the tale, and immediately ad¬ 
dressed her in affectionate terms. It is by no means im¬ 
probable, that a blush of shame crimsoned his cheek, 
from the recollection of his past negligence in suffering 
Naomi to pine away in solitary sadness and penury, when 
it was in his power to have afforded her relief. Reasons 
might have existed to justify this delay, though they must 
have been very imperious to furnish even a plausible 
pretence for such indifference ; but the best construction 
we can put upon his conduct is to suppose, that, like 
many w^orthy and benevolent men, he was dilatory in 
the execution of measures which he might have planned 
to discover and relieve the necessities of his kindred. 
The law of love was in his heart; he hastened to make 
reparation, and kindly enjoined her to glean in no other 
field, to keep fast by his own female servants, and to 
drink whenever she chose out of the vessels which were 
replenished from time to time for his reapers. He fur¬ 
ther issued orders to the young men employed in his 
service, to show every kindness, and to observe the ut¬ 
most decorum towards her, upon pain of his displeasure- 

P 2 


162 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHi'. 

It is observable, that Boaz addressed her by the ten¬ 
der epithet of daughter, adopting the language while he 
displayed the affection of a parental protector. Ruth 
had forsaken every Moabitish friend and relative, to share 
the fortunes of Naomi. Her birth-place, her home, her 
connexions, all were relinquished for the privileges of 
her new relationship and adopted country, although to 
her eye nothing was presented but poverty and want. 
But her loss was gain; in Naomi she found a mother— 
in Boaz a father—in Bethlehem a home—in Judaism the 
religion of heaven, and the way to God. And shall they 
be eventually losers, who forsake all things for Christ 
and his Gospel ? Listen, ye youthful readers of either 
sex, and be wise—“ Every one that hath forsaken houses, 
or brethren, or sisters, or hither, or mother, or wife, or 
children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive a 
hundred-fold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”* 

The reply of Ruth is singularly expressive of her 
characteristic modesty, humility, and goodness. The 
wealthy proprietor of the field had unexpectedly dis¬ 
covered in one word the history of this stranger ; but 
she was wholly ignorant of the sti^ng that had been 
touched, and with artlessness replies, “ Why have 1 
found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take know’- 
ledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?” This is equally 
the language of astonishment and gratitude. Little did 
she imagine the mighty consequences of this casual in¬ 
terview, or the real origin of this extraordinary kindness. 
Her susceptible and affectionate heart would have ac¬ 
knowledged the smallest favour, while some, and unhap¬ 
pily too often, the most dependent and the most indulged 
of the children of indigence seem scarcely thankful for 
the greatest obligations. It ought not to prevent our 
charity, but it may well excite our surprise, to find that 
needy persons are sometimes disposed to claim as a right 
what is bestowed as a boon. 


* Mat. xix. 29. 


NAOMI, ORPAH, AND RUTH. 


163 


Boaz intimated that the principal circumstances of her 
past life had come to his knowledge, and conveyed the 
most delicate commendation into her modest ear. He 
said, that he was aware of her whole behaviour to 
Naomi, with the sacrifice she had made of her native 
land and connexions, and pronounced upon her an affec¬ 
tionate, solemn, and pious benediction: “ The Lord re¬ 
compense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of 
the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art 
come to trust.” To the same refuge from painful con¬ 
victions and impending judgments may every reader in¬ 
stantly repair, embracing, by a devout faith, that glo¬ 
rious Light of the world, and Saviour of men, who was 
prefigured, in all the splendours of his love, by that mira¬ 
culous brightness which shone between the wings of the 
cherubim in the ancient temple, and pointed the Jewish 
worshipper to “ God manifest in the flesh.” 

Virtually disclaiming the praise which the opulent 
stranger had conferred, and far from imagining that she 
deserved, or had reason to expect any reward of God 
for conduct which she considered as no other than what 
a proper sense of duty demanded, Ruth thought herself 
honoured in the notice which she had received, respect¬ 
fully acknowledged the condescension, and solicited its 
continuance. “ Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; 
for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast 
spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not 
like unto one of thine handmaidens.” Boaz repeats 
every kind assurance, invites her to,share the rural re¬ 
past, to “ eat of the bread, and dip her morsel in the 
vinegar;” and with his own hand plentifully supplies her 
with “ parched corn.” 

The sentiments of this excellent woman for the com¬ 
paratively trifling kindness of her kinsman, may serve 
to reprove our cold returns, our disproportionate grati¬ 
tude to the Supreme Benefactor, who daily loads us with 
temporal benefits, and constantly replenishes the cup of 
spiritutil blessing i he, indeed, ** comforts us ; in his 


164 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


word he “ speaks friendly to us and we have, indivi¬ 
dually, abundant reason to confess, “ I am not worthy of 
the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which the 
Lord has showed unto his servant.”*’ 

The rural repast being ended, and Ruth having with¬ 
drawn into the field to pursue the humble labour of 
gleaning, which necessity and affection for an aged pa¬ 
rent alike concurred to prompt, Boaz enjoined his reapers 
not only to allow her to glean, and to glean among the 
sheaves, but to “ let fall some of the handfuls of purpose 
for her, and leave them that she may glean them, and 
rebuke her not.” Her real thankfulness and amiable 
diffidence procured her these additional favours, and 
seem to have inspired the noble benefactor with a feel¬ 
ing which was afterward matured into love and consoli¬ 
dated in marriage. Let the poor beware of that cold 
indifference in the reception of benefits which freezes 
up the stream of benevolence, and chills the heart of the 
most liberal friend ; let them equally avoid that forward¬ 
ness which seems to demand rather than to solicit kind¬ 
ness. Boaz, on this occasion, enjoyed a double feast ; 
with condescending fiimiliarity he partook the frugal 
meal with his labourers, encouraging them by his pre¬ 
sence and piety ; with pleasure he fed the hungry stran¬ 
ger, cheerfully dispensing a portion of what he thank¬ 
fully received from the Lord, of all, whose bounty had 
enriched his possessions, and thus enjoying the luxury of 
doing good : this was indeed, to his benevolent spirit, a 
feast which all the wealth of a Croesus could not other¬ 
wise have procured. 

Boaz may be exhibited as a specimen of that pru¬ 
dential charity which should always regulate our dis¬ 
tributions. He might have supplied Ruth at once from 
his ample repository of grain, or from the sheaves of 
the golden harvest; but he chose, on the contrary, to 
encourage her industry, though he kindly mitigated her 
toil. Indiscriminate gifts may rather favour idlenesfv 

* Gen. xxxii. 10. 


NAOMI, ORPAH, and RUTH. 165 

than relieve necessity; and it is as much a duty to see 
to the mode of distributing help to the needy as to render 
them the requisite aid : besides which, the poor are more 
likely to value and to use properly what has been in¬ 
dustriously acquired, than what is lavishly, however, 
as to its principle, benevolently communicated. Alle¬ 
viate the toil of the necessitous, but do not prevent 
their useful employment of time and means. Industry 
is the law of the universe; and the Supreme Disposer 
of human affairs has appointed that “ in the sw^eat of 
his face” man should eat bread till he return unto 
the ground.”* 

To Ruth this was one of the happiest evenings of 
a life which had been chequered with vicissitude, and of 
late particularly beclouded with sorrow. How different 
were the feelings with which she returned to the cottage 
of her mother-in-law from those which afilicted her bosom 
when she quitted it in the early part of this memorable 
day. Distressed and friendless she had gone forth ; “ not 
knowing whither she went,” anxious only to procure 
some scanty subsistence for the dayito satisfy the crav¬ 
ings of appetite, and to sustain the weakness of her 
dear and aged relative ; but she returned laden with the 
spoils of the harvest field, an ephah of barley ; she had 
been noticed by a very liberal proprietor of the soil, 
and invited to continue gleaning in his field. With what 
lieartfelt satisfaction did she present the fruits of her 
first-day’s exertion at the feet of Naomi, and sit down 
to share that kind of comfort to which Solomon has so 
strikingly alluded—“ Better is a dinner of herbs where 
love is than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”! 

What family in Bethlehem was so truly blessed as these 
two poor women ? Where, in the whole city, was con¬ 
centrated so many sweet enjoyments, so many pure un¬ 
sophisticated pleasures as met beneath this dwelling ? 
Who would not rather turn into that lowly door, and listen 
to the inspired record of the conversation which took 
* Gen iii. 19. f Prov. xv, 17. 


166 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


place between its pious inmates, than hear the musiC 
which shakes the lordly roof, or witness the unmeaning 
gayety that riots in its apartments ?—The good matron in¬ 
quired where she had been gleaning ? and seeing the am¬ 
ple supply she had procured, eagerly demanded where 
she had wrought ? but unable, in the exultation and 
overflowings of her gratitude to wait for an answer, she 
pours forth her benedictions upon the unknow n benefac¬ 
tor : “ Blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee !” 
Her daughter informed her it was Boaz ; a name wel¬ 
come to her ear, and calculated to kindle a hope in a bo¬ 
som long filled with distracting griefs : she was reminded 
of former favours: she remembered his constant friend¬ 
ship to her family, and uttered an instantaneous supplica¬ 
tion to Heaven for blessings upon his head. Unable 
herself to requite his kindness, she well knew who could 
recompense it, and therefore prayed, “ Blessed be he of 
the Lord, who hath not left ofi* his kindness to the living 
and to the dead!” 

Such is the commerce between the benevolent rich and 
the pious poor; the former bestows subsistence, the 
latter blessings. Hmvfmiserable, haw deservedly miserable 
is an incommunicative selfishness ! Happy the man who 
can say with Job, “ When the ear heard me then it bless¬ 
ed me ; and when the eye saw me it gave witness to me : 
because I delivered the poor that cried, and the father¬ 
less, and him that had none to help him. The blessing 
of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I 
caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.— 1 was a father 
to the poor.”* 

With what astonishment must Ruth have heard, “ The 
man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen !” but 
she did not arrogantly assume her right to what she had 
received, or, presuming upon the dignity of her relation¬ 
ship, propose to make immediate application for that sup¬ 
port which he was so well able to afford : this would have 
been the first thought of an ordinary or a selfish mind. 

^ Jobxxix. 11—13,16, 


NAOMI, OAPAH, AND RUTH. 167 

On the contrary, she expatiates, with a satisfaction which 
heartfelt gratitude and pre-eminent goodness alone could 
have inspired, upon the marked attention of Boaz—“ He 
said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men 
until they have ended all my harvest.” Naomi advised 
her to accept this bounty, lest, by gleaning in any other 
field she might seem to undervalue the permission, or to 
cherish an offensive dependency of spirit. With her 
characteristic meekness, Ruth assented, continuing to pur¬ 
sue her mean occupation during the weeks of harvest, and 
returning every evening to share with Naomi her hum¬ 
ble cot and her scanty fare. 

During all this time, the mind of the affectionate mother- 
in-law was meditating a plan to promote the future hap¬ 
piness of her daughter. Past the period of marriage her¬ 
self, she knew that Ruth might yet adorn, as well as ob¬ 
tain an accession of comfort from such a connexion. If 
the young woman were satisfied with her obscurity, and 
content to provide a precarious subsistence for herself and 
her venerable relative by the labour of her hands, Naomi 
was superior to that selfishness which would rather have 
aimed to retain her in perpetual subserviency to her con¬ 
venience, than seek to augment her joys, advance her in¬ 
terests, and raise her to her proper sphere of usefulness. 
Having made every possible sacrifice to her and her re¬ 
ligion, she deemed it the part of maternal kindness to avail 
herself of the existing laws respecting matrimony, to con¬ 
nect her with the noble-minded Boaz. This solicitude 
she took the first opportunity of expressing, and direct¬ 
ed her to measures, which, if they appear extraordinary 
to us, might not have been unseemly or unusual at that 
period and in that country. A few years are sufficient to 
operate a complete revolution in existing customs ; it can¬ 
not therefore be surprising, that the manners of another 
quarter of the globe, at the distance of more than thirty 
centuries, should essentially differ from our own. To 
judge of their propriety by our standard is manifestly ab¬ 
surd; and to make great allowances for the state ofsocie- 


168 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHV. 

ty is, in cases of extreme variation, obviously necessa* 
ry. After all, the conduct of Naomi may not be capable 
of entire vindication ; though we are certain it proceeded 
from a sentiment of pure affection, and was connected 
with important results in the order of Providence : it is 
moreover recorded without the slightest hint of disappro¬ 
bation. 

Ruth was directed by her mother-in-law to repair with 
the utmost secrecy to the threshing-floor ; and, when 
Boaz, conformably to the simple manners of the age, re¬ 
tired to rest among the heaps of corn, to place herself at 
his feet. When he spoke, she was to answer frankly, and 
await the intimation of his will. She did so ; Boaz made 
the inquiry, and promised all that a sense of her virtues 
and a knowledge of her rights dictated. The law author¬ 
ized the present application on her part at the instigation 
of Naomi, in order that the possessions of the family might 
not be alienated. Kinsmen were required to intermarry, 
and in case of refusal the near relative was treated with 
the utmost public indignity.* Boaz perfectly understood 
this legal claim ; and, notwithstanding his evident partiality 
to Ruth, ingenuously informed her, “ There is a kins¬ 
man nearer than 1.” If he performed the kinsman’s 
part, law and piety required acquiescence ; if not, he so¬ 
lemnly avowed his own resolution to do so. Ruth depart¬ 
ed before it was light, and carried the intelligence home. 
Boaz availed himself of the earliest opportunity in the 
morning to bring the affair to a decision : he went up to 
the gate, stopped the relative to whom he had alluded as 
he was passing by, and appealed to ten of the elders of 
the city. He at first agreed to the redemption of some 
family inheritance which belonged to Naomi; but, upon 
the intimation that if he purchased the land he must mar¬ 
ry Ruth, he declined it, giving full permission to his re¬ 
lative to enter into this contract. The mutual regard 
subsisting between Boaz and Ruth rendered this a most 
welcome circumstance, and the former immediately called 
* Lev. XXV. 23—28. Deut. xxv. 5—10- 


NAOMI, ORPAH, AND RUTH. 1(39 

Upon the elders and all the people who were assembled on 
the occasion, to bear witness to this, as a fair, public, and 
honourable transaction.” “ So Boaz took Ruth, and she 
was his wife.” 

In some cases, where the matrimonial connexion has 
been founded upon a dereliction of principle, and formed 
in defiance of the suggestions of common prudence, of 
parental kindness, and even of the interdictions of Hea¬ 
ven itself, we feel compelled to express our grief, rather 
than offer our congratulations; but where, as in the pre¬ 
sent instance, the voice of nature harmonized with that 
of reason, conscience, and God, who can hesitate to ap¬ 
prove the union, and to anticipate that delightful result 
which has been so well expressed in poetic numbers ? 

“ Hail, wedded love ! by gracious Heaven design’d, 

At once the source and glory of mankind! 

’Tis this can toil, and grief, and pain assuage, 

Secure our youth, and dignify our age ; 

’Tis this fair fame and guiltless pleasure brings, 

And shakes rich plenty from its brooding wings ; 

Gilds duty’s roughest path with friendship’s ray, 

And strews with roses sweet the narrow way.” 

If, in all the circumstances that lead to this union, the 
interpositions of Providence be not always, perhaps not 
frequently, so marked, incontrovertible, and striking, as 
in the history under consideration, let it never be forgot¬ 
ten, that such a wise and good superintendance really ex¬ 
ists, and may, in every instance, be traced in some de¬ 
gree by the devout observer. If our ways be committed 
to the Lord, he will direct our paths. Amidst the ar¬ 
dour of youth, we are not always capable of discerning 
what is really obvious, or of fully believing what is infal¬ 
libly true : but years teach wisdom ; the developements 
of futurity often throw light upon the mysteries o^ the 
past; in the coolness and quiet of the eventide of life, 
and even before that period, how commonly do good men 
acknowledge the kindness of thos-j once-distressing dis¬ 
pensations that thwarted their juvenile susceptibility. In 
VoL. I. Q. 


170 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHV. 

the adverse, as well as the prosperous events of the life 
of Ruth, she could perceive that “ all things worked to¬ 
gether for her good 5 ^^ and no reflecting Christian will 
hesitate to appropriate the same sentiment to himself. A 
plan was laid in the divine mind, in the execution of 
which she often acted unconsciously : the birth, the edu¬ 
cation, the original circumstances and residence, the re¬ 
moval, the final elevation of Ruth, were all essential 
parts of the scheme, links in the chain of mercy; and 
the same may be affirmed respecting the life of every 
pious individual. 

One circumstance demands particular notice. Neither 
in Boaz nor in Ruth can we discern the least symptom 
of precipitation: they suffered Providence to work its 
own way, to accomplish, without any obstruction from 
their unholy haste and heedlessness, its own purposes ; 
in neither of them is discernible the least trace of a 
wish to seek their own gratification irrespectively of the 
will of Omniscience ; they were in a sense passive, re¬ 
signing themselves wholly to the disposal of God ; they 
did not force a passage through intervening impediments 
with an indecent and impious resolution of spirit, as if 
they could not, or would not be happy excepting in their 
own way, but “ waited patiently for the Lord.” 

Young persons sometimes attempt to outstrip Provi¬ 
dence, and dare to chide its fingerings, or to murmur at. 
its decisions ; they set up for separate empire, and ima¬ 
gine they can create their own paradise ; a conduct 
which ultimately proves as fatal to their comfort as it is 
now to their respectability. It is an advantage for young 
people of both sexes, which cannot be too highly appre¬ 
ciated, to have judicious, and especially parental advisers. 
Let them not impute their kind suggestions to the frigidity 
of age when they do not keep pace with their own warm 
feelings, but consider that they are likely to know more 
of the world, and to deserve their attention after amass¬ 
ing a stock of experience. Why should their good ad¬ 
vice, or even their urgent importunity, be deemed offi- 


NAOMI, ORPAH, AND RUTH. 


171 


cious or be treated with contempt ? If mistaken, they are 
not, or ought not to be, peremptory. If not obliged to 
follow their opinion, young persons are certainly re¬ 
quired, by every motive of duty, and even of self-inter¬ 
est, to hear it. Were it admitted that Ruth erred in some 
degree from her excessive obsequiousness to Naomi, yet 
her general spirit nnd temper merit the strongest enco¬ 
mium, the deepest stuUy and the closest imitation. 

Tragical as was the commottoenient of this history, its 
termination presents a very different aspect. We beheld 
the family of Elimelech sinking fast in h^man apprehen¬ 
sion into oblivion, and his name beginning to cease in 
Israel ; we now witness its restoration and prosperity : it 
has emerged from its obscurity into splendour, and shines 
with imperishable glory on the page of inspiration. The 
aged tree, which time had well nigh lopped of every 
branch, sprouts out afresh, and .shoots forth with new 
vigour and luxuriancy. We should learn never to de¬ 
spair of Providence, never to relinquish hope, never to 
imagine that “ any thing is too hard for the Lord.” Time, 
and change, and death, whatever revolutions they may 
occasion in general auclctj in individual families, not 
only cannot prevent, but, by their diversified operations, 
shall conduce to accomplish the purposes of Heaven. 
‘‘ Time and change,” exclaimed Job, “ are against me /” 
True ; but they cannot countervail Omniscience, 

We naturally congratulate our favourites upon their 
prosperity ; and the interest we must feel in the history 
of Ruth swells into the highest satisfaction upon reading 
the closing part of the narrative. We hear of the birth 
of Obed, who derives additional importance from the 
illustrious -line of his descent. A few generations con¬ 
duct immediately to the Messiah. All the neighbour¬ 
hood celebrates the event, and we have equal reason to 
hail and proclaim it: “ And the women sai^^ nnto Naomi, 
Blessed be the Lord, which hat^^ left thee this day 
without a kinsman, that ^lame may be fiimous in Israel ; 
and he shall he unto thee a restorer of thy life and a 


172 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

nourisher of thine old age : for thy daughter-in-law, 
which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven 
sons, hath borne him. And Naomi took the child and 
laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the 
women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a 
son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed : he 

IS THE FATHER OF JeSSE, THE FATHER OaVID.” 

Ordinary minds avoid, as mur^ <is possible, recurring 
to past periods of indige^'^tj and inferiority of station. 
Any reference to surJi circumstances is deemed offensive, 
l)y people of the world who have been elevated from 
low situationa to opulence and rank, and whose arrogant 
nothingness proves they have descended in moral worth 
and real respectability exactly in proportion as they have 
risen in temporal distinction. But every thing we know 
©f Ruth tends to convince us that, if a detailed account of 
her private life had been given, it would have been highly 
honourable to her sensibility and her piety. How often, 
and with what feelings, would she pace the field where, 
in the situation of a humble gleaner, she first met with 

Boaz. With what emotions would she trace and retrace 

« ^ 

her own eventful story i And with what devout 

gratitude would she call to mind the days of her idolatry 
in Moab, and the happy era of her spiritual emancipa¬ 
tion ! In her own past character, in her infatuated sister’s 
defection, what motives to praise would arise, and what 
tears of mingled pain and pleasure would she shed ! And 
shall not we, who have “ tasted that the Lord is gracious,” 
cherish a sense of our obligations to redeeming mercy, 
and “ remember all the way which the Lord our God 
hath led us these years in the wilderness, to humble us 
and to prove us, to know what was in our hearts, whether 
we would keep his commandments or no Sweet are 
the recollections of piety, and acceptable the offerings of 
a grateful nAnd! How inferior to these the trees of Le¬ 
banon in sacrifice, or all the spicy mountains of Arabia 


^ Deut. viii, 2. 


Naomi, orpah, and ruth. 


173 


in a blaze ! From what depths of sin, what delusions of 
mind, and what danger of soul, has “ God in Christ” 
delivered us 1 “ Once far off,” we are now “ brought 
nigh”—“ sometime darkness, now light in the Lord”— 
you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses 
and-sins.”* 

But far more exalted pleasures of memory and retro- 
'Spection await the Christian in a future world. Having 
ascended above this cloudy spot into the glory of the di¬ 
vine presence, it will be his pleasing and privileged em¬ 
ployment to retrace the events of past existence, when 
nothing but a remembrance of the struggles and conflicts 
of this mortal state will remain, to enhance the raptures 
of eternd victory. What is crooked will then be made 
straight,-what is perplexing will become plain, what is un¬ 
known will be revealed. Amidst the songs of heaven it 
will heighten our blessedness to recollect the sorrows of - 
earth as past —clothed in the robe of salvation and tri¬ 
umph, it will be grateful to recall the time when we 
wore the armour and strove in field —arrived in port, 
it will be inexpressibly delightful to recur to the storm 
as then for ever gone by !— 

*' Eph. ii. 1,13. & r. 8-. 


Q 2 



DEBORJin. 

CHAPTER VIll.—SECTION 1. 


Historical retrospect—Deborah sitting as a judge and prophetess under a 
palm-tree—sends to Barak to confront Sisera—accompanies him—pre¬ 
parations for battle—victorious result—death of Sisera—reflections. 

A-FTER the death of Joshua, which occurred in the 
hundred and tenth year of his age, and in the two thousand 
five hundred and seventy-eighth of the world, the people 
of Israel were in a very fluctuating, unsettled condition, 
having no regularly-appointed governor ; and the book 
of Judges, supposed to have been written by Samuel, ex¬ 
hibits a striking picture of the disorders incident to such 
a state of civil disorganization. “ Let every soul,” then, 
“ be subject unto the higher powersremembering 
that, as “ rulers are not a terror to good works but to 
the evil,”'’^ while we are properly submissive to their 
authority, we should be grateful to God for their ap- 
poinment. 

Although the Israelites, who had been commanded to 
extirpate the nations of Canaan, pursued their conquests 
for some time, they gradually relapsed into a neglectful 
inactivity, permitting the inhabitants of the land to remain 
in tributary subjection. Whatever personal objections 
they might feel, and whatever apparent contrariety there 
might have been between their views of strict justice and 
the explicit directions of Heaven, they were bound to 
execute the divine will with a prompt unhesitating com¬ 
pliance. If general rules of conduct were not perfectly 
superseded by the paramount authority of an express 
direction from God, the great principle of positive in¬ 
stitutions would be annulled, and the prejudices, passions, 
and misconceptions of a fallible creature, might, in certain 


Rvm. sJii. 1, ?. 


BEBORIH, 


175 


cases, interfere with the acts of supreme legislation. 
Though, to strengthen the principle of obedience, and, 
as far as possible, to render “ a reasonable service,” it 
may often be proper to inquire “ why —” such is our 
present incapacity, or so profound and vast the mysteries 
of divine administration, that in general our inquiries 
must be limited to the great question, “ what —is enjoin¬ 
ed ?” His conduct does not require our vindication* 
while his commands claim our obedience. 

Nor does a rebellious spirit merely incur censure ; it 
inevitably exposes to punishment The people upon 
whom Israel neglected to execute the purposes of Infinite 
Justice, became, according to prophetic intimations, 

snares and traps” to seduce them to idolatry, and 
“ scourges in their sides, and thorns in their eyes.”* 
They were in subjection eight years to Cushan, king of 
Mesopotamia, till judges, of whom Othniel was the first, 
and Samuel the last, were raised up for their deliver¬ 
ance. 

After the signal interference of Heaven on their behalf, 
in the successes of their first judge, which terminated in 
a peace of forty years, the “ children of Israel did evil 
again in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened 
Eglon, the king of Moab; against Israel,” by whom they 
were enslaved eighteen years. After which, Ehud, a 
Benjamite, became their deliverer, by assassinating the 
king of Moab, and another peaceful interval of eighty 
years elapsed : but such was the strange perversity of ’ 
this extraordinary nation, that they abused their pros¬ 
perity, and again apostatized from God. Nor will it be 
difficult or unprofitable to trace in ourselves some strik¬ 
ing points of resemblance to them, and in the divine con¬ 
duct that same character of love and forbearance which 
marks his dispensations to his church in all the success¬ 
ive ages of time. “ They were disobedient, and re¬ 
belled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, 


* Josh, sxiii. 13. 




176 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn 
them to thee ; and they wrought great provocations. 
Therefore thou deliveredst them iifto the hand of their 
enemies, wh6 vexed them : and in the time of their 
trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them 
from heaven ; and according to thy manifold mercies thou 
gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of 
their enemies. But after they had rest, they did evil 
again before thee ; therefo* ■ leftest thou them in the 
hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over 
them ; yet when they returned and cried unto thee, thou 
heardest them from heaven, and many times didst thou 
deliver them according to thy mercies ; and testifiedst 
against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto 
thy law : yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto 
thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, 
(which, if a man do, he shall live in them,) and withdrew 
the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not 
hear : yet many years didst thou forbear them, and tes¬ 
tifiedst against them by thy Spirit in thy prophets : yet 
would they not give ear ; therefore gavest thou them in¬ 
to the hand of the people of the lands. Nevertheless, 
for thy great mercies’ sake, thou didst not utterly con¬ 
sume them, nor forsake them ; for thou art a gracious 
and merciful God.”* 

Jabin, king of Canaan, was raised up by Providence to 
disturb that long period of national tranquillity already 
adverted to, during which the religious character of Israel 
had so much degenerated : and it must be admitted to 
evince the unfailing regard of their divine Protector, 
rather to inflict corrective chastisement upon his people, 
than to suffer them to proceed with unchecked eagerness 
in a course fatally injurious to their real interests. In 
every individual concern shall we not gratefully confess, 
that whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth 
every son whom he receiveth ?” 


* Nehem. ix. 26—31. 


DEBORAH. 


177 


Years before said to have reigned in Hazor, a 

place situated, according to Josephus, in the 
tribe ofNaphtali, on the lake Semechon. Jo¬ 
shua had reduced this place to ashes, and slew its former 
sovereign ;* but, probably, the present prince had availed 
himself of the criminal indolence of the Israelites to re¬ 
build it. The captain of Jabin’s army was Sisera, who 
was truly formidable ; having, according to the inspired 
historian, nine hundred chariots of iron. This, for a 
petty prince of Canaan, was a most extraordinary force, 
by which Israel was kept under t;yrannical domination 
for twenty years. Ardent cries were presented to Hea¬ 
ven in these critical circumstances ; and He whose ears 
are ever open to the cries of the distressed, interposed 
by raising up an illustrious female to accomplish the plans 
of mercy. “ And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of 
Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.”! As no pro¬ 
phet is mentioned in Israel during their defection, this 
was a signal testimony of the divine favour upon their 
' repentance : and while observing that out of the millions 
of Israel a woman was chosen to the gieat pur¬ 

poses of Heaven, we cannot Out admire the inscrutable 
wisdom that appoints all persons to their stations, qualifies 
all agents for their particular instrumentality, and regu¬ 
lates all the movements of this lower world. Not a spar¬ 
row falls to the ground, nor an angel wings his flight, but 
in subserviency to the arrangements of an omniscient mind, 

Deborah was a judge, as well as a prophetess ; and a 
ruler over some, if not all their tribes. Some have sup¬ 
posed, that judges among the ancient Israelites resembled 
the Archons among the Atheni.ans, and the Dictators 
among the Romans. The office was not hereditary, but 
conferred for life ; and seems to have been considerably 
allied, although somewhat inferior, to royal authority. 

We are struck with the simplicity of the age in which 
this prophetess and judge of Israel is represented as sit- 


^ Josh. xi. 10. 


•r Judg:. iv. 4. 



178 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHV. 


ting under a palm-tree, to discharge her public and 
eminently important duties. It was between Rama and 
Bethel, in mount Ephraim. The subject is curious 
and interesting; we may, therefore, enter into some 
particulars. 

The palm, or date-tree, is a native of Africa and the 
East, where it grows to the height of fifty or sixty, and 
occasionally a hundred feet. A cluster of branches issues 
from the top of it, eight or nine feet long, bending towards 
the earth, anrl pxtending all round in the form of an um¬ 
brella. The trunk ia upright, and full of cavities, the 
vestiges of its decayed leaves, having a flat surface within, 
adapted to the human foot, and forming a kind of natural 
ladder, by which a person may easily ascend to the top. 
The lower part produces a number of stalks or suckers, 
which diffuse the tree considerably, and form a kind of 
bushy forest. This illustrates the scriptural term in the 
history of Deborah. “ She dwelt under the pa/m-irce 
or, as it might be rendered, in a forest of palms. This 
tree was very common in Palestine. It abounded along 
the banks of JoiUciu, :ind particularly about Engeddi and 
Jericho ; the latter place is designaied, m Scripture, the 
city of palms.'^ 

“ The extensive importance of the date-tree,” says 
Dr. Clarke, “ is one of the most curious objects to which 
a traveller can direct his attention. A considerable part 
of the inhabitants of Egypt, of Arabia, and Persia, subsist 
almost entirely upon its fruit. They boast also of its me¬ 
dicinal virtues. Their camels feed upon the date-stone. 
From the leaves they make couches, baskets, bags, mats, 
and brushes ; from the branches, cages for their poultry, 
and fences for their gardens ; from the fibres of the 
boughs, thread, ropes, and rigging; from the sap is pre¬ 
pared a spirituous liquor ; and the body of the tree fur¬ 
nishes fuel ; it is even said, that from one variety of the 
palm-tree, the Phcenix farinifera^ meal has been extracted^ 


» XYTJT. 51. .Tilda-, i- 16. and JiJ 1.^ 2 Chran 'sirrii l/i 


DEBORAH. 


119 


which is found among the fibres of the trunk, and has 
been used for food.”* 

In the East, it is very common for persons to live in 
tents, either entirely or during some of the most sultry 
seasons of the year. This was the patriarchal mode, 
and persons of considerable distinction are accustomed to 
pitch them for occasional residence. Mr. Harmer quotes 
Dr. Pococke as speaking of a pleasant place not far from 
Aleppo, where he met an Aga, who had a great entertain¬ 
ment there, accompanied with music under tents. Maillet 
mentions tents as things of course, in an account he gives 
of an Egyptian officer’s taking the air with his lady in the 
neighbourhood of Cairo; and Chardin says, that Tah- 
masp, the Persian monarch, used to spend the winter at 
Casbin, and to retire in the summer three or four leagues 
into the country, where he lived in tents at the foot of 
Mount Alouvent, in a place abounding with cool springs 
and pleasant shades ; and that his successors lived after 
the same manner until the time of Abas the Great, who 
removed his court to Ispahan.! It is sufficiently proba¬ 
ble, therefore, that Deborah pitched her tent during a 
considerable period of the year, under some remarkable 
palm-tree which stood either alone, or in a forest of palms. 
There, for the purpose of convenient shelter in a sultry 
climate, and with primitive simplicity of mind and man¬ 
ners, she received the children of Israel who came to her 
for judgment, investigating their causes, and by her in¬ 
tegrity and wisdom, promoting the happiness of her illus¬ 
trious nation. The homage which mere external pomp 
compels is lighter than vanity, compared with that sterling 
j^olidity of character which no less ministers to the gene¬ 
ral good than to the individual’s own reputation. He who 
rules over others, should aim to be enthroned in their af¬ 
fections ; and they whom Providence calls to obey, should 
readily cherish, and, on all suitable occasions, express 
feelings of respect for their appointed rulers. 

* Clakke’s Travels, part II. sect. ii. p. 302. 

Comp. Habmeh’s Observations, p. 232—237. 


180 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


As the supreme magistrate of Israel, Deborah sent tf«» 
Barak, of whom we know only that he was the son of 
Abinoam, and resided in Kedesh-Naphtali, requiring him 
to take ten thousand men of the tribes of Naphtali and 
Zebulun into the neighbourhood of mount Tabor; and, 
as a prophetess under supernatural influence of immediate 
inspiration, she assured him of the most perfect success 
against the hostile preparations of Sisera. He was not 
only warranted to anticipate a decisive victory, but also 
the destruction of this celebrated general, of whom it was 
expressly affirmed that he should be “ delivered into his 
hand.” 

It is not necessary to inquire by what particular means < 
this divine intimation of success was communicated to the 
prophetess of Israel, whether by an audible voice, a noc¬ 
turnal vision, an angelic messenger, or a secret impres¬ 
sion ; suffice it to know, that the great Disposer of human 
destiny has often adopted some and all of these methods 
to disclose the scenes of futurity to the mind, in proof 
that he is not only the ruler of nations, but the guardian 
of his church. Though he permit the rod to smite his 
people, it shall be broken in pieces whenever it has ac¬ 
complished its work. On the present occasion, it was 
revealed to Deborah, that in the ensuing conflict Israel 
should certainly be victorious ; and this disclosure of the 
event might be kindly intended to revive the desponding 
feelings of the pious part of the community under cir¬ 
cumstances of painful depression. We are not authorized 
to anticipate, "n our individual or national calamities, such 
a miraculous discovery, nor ought we to repine at the 
concealment of future events ; but of this we may rest as¬ 
sured, if indeed the people of God, and the “ called ac¬ 
cording to his purpose,” the hostility of our worst ene¬ 
mies cannot eventually injure us—the “ Captain of our 
salvation” will conduct us to triumph—and the standard 
of victory shall be planted upon the graves of our foes. 

Barak, it seems, started some objection to the message 
of Deborah, alleging, “ If thou wilt go with me, then I 


teEBORAH. 


181 


will go ; but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not 
go.” This extraordinary reply may, perhaps, be ex¬ 
plained, by supposing it to be the language of that modesty 
which has so often characterized the greatest of men ; and 
which, it must be admitted, is no less admirable than their 
most splendid achievements. Thus, when the angel of 
the Lord appeared to Moses, announcing a divine com¬ 
mission to go to Pharaoh, and bring the children of Israel 
out of Egyptian servitude, he replied, “ Who am I, that 
I should go unto Pharaoh ?” and, during a long-continued 
conference, he stated a variety of difficulties, and mani¬ 
fested a degree of reluctance that excites astonishment.*’ 
We are ready to charge him with an infatuation bordering 
upon insolence and presumption ; nor, upon a first peru¬ 
sal, should we wonder to find him smitten to the earth for 
his strange hesitation and timidity ; but a closer inspection 
of the narrative will convince us, that his reluctance, and 
apparent refusal, ought not to be attributed to any unwil¬ 
lingness to engage in the service of God, «’ith a view of 
promoting his glory in the earth, bn^ to a consciousness 
of his personal unworthiness. Idis objection w^as less to 
the work^ than to hhnsel ^> he did not so much tremble 
because that was aixluous, as because he was, in his own 
apprehension, unfit. This was a feeling, however, which, 
under-the circumstances of his call, we cannot vindicate ; 
for, to say the least, it was excessive. Whatever estimate 
Moses in the one case, or Barak in the other, might have 
formed of themselves, the divine will ought to have been 
considered the only rule of action. We must never 
shrink from the course to which Providence calls us— 

j allowing God, who cannot err, to choose his own instru¬ 
ments: and feeling that he who commands, can enable us 

ji * ~ 

[ to perform the most arduous duties. 

! Animated by a zeal which nothing could repress, De¬ 
borah instantly complied with the condition upon which Ba¬ 
rak proposed to engage in the war. In language expres- 


*Exod. iii. and iv. 

R 





182 


FEMALE SCRIPTURli BIOGRAPHY. 


sive of an unconquerable heroism, a masculine energy of 
character, and a devoted patriotism of spirit, she sent him 
word, “ I will surely go with theebut accompanied 
this message with an intimation, that the honour of this ex¬ 
ploit would in part at least attach to a woman, whom Pro¬ 
vidence had selected to execute the purposes of heaven 
upon Sisera. The little army being collected, the general 
and the prophetess hastened to the field of battle, anxious 
to revenge the wrongs of their insulted country, and 
to emancipate her enslaved provinces. A patriotism 
inspired her breast, and probably by this time animated 
kis, which was kindled by a fire from heaven, which 
roused into vigorous action all the respective talents, and 
energies of their nature ; and which, urging them forward 
to righteous war, a war against impiety and oppression, 
undertaken in the fear and to promote the glory of God, 
excited them to march to an anticipated victory. 

Under these circumstances, it is much to the honour of 
Barak, that he wished for the presence of the prophetess. 
Heroes are seldom anxious for the observant eye of pie¬ 
ty to watch their movements, and to penetrate their 
camps. Alas ! those whom we admire as the defenders 
of our country, we weep over as tha corrupters of our 
morals ; and too often the page which celebrates their 
prowess, is stained with the record of their rapacity. 
But, however unwelcome an attendant, let them remem¬ 
ber that an omniscient eye witnesses both their private 
transactions, and their public career. 

It is no less honourable to the character of this illustri¬ 
ous heroine and female head of Israel, that so far from 
cherishing any petty jealousies of Barak, and aiming at 
a monopoly of the reputation likely to result from the 
present undertaking, she assigned to him the post of ho¬ 
nour, and contented herself with becoming his adviser. 
The superiority of her mind induced her to seek an in¬ 
feriority of station ; anxious only to ensure success, not 
to gain applause ; to be approved of God, not to be flat¬ 
tered of man. Happy would it be for us all in our re- 


DEBORAH. 


1^3 

apective stations, whether elevated by opulence or de¬ 
pressed by poverty, were we constantly influenced by a 
similar principle. Then should we be stimulated to the 
noblest duties, and fulfil the solemn injunction of our God 
and Saviour, “ Occupy till I come.”* 

Sisera, the captain of the Canaanitish army, having 
been informed of the movements of Israel, gathered to¬ 
gether all his nine hundred chariots of iron, and encamp¬ 
ed between Harosheth and the river Kishon. This hos¬ 
tile force, stretching along the circumjacent valley of 
mount Tabor, must have presented a formidable appear¬ 
ance ; and it would not have been surprising, if even ve¬ 
teran troops, whose scarred bosoms proclaimed their un¬ 
retreating hardihood in battle, had been appalled to meet 
so mighty a preparation with only ten thousand men. 
But the spirit of a weak woman, when sustained by the 
living God, shall brave every danger. Faith shall tri¬ 
umph over fear, and the sword shall follow and fulfil pro¬ 
phetic inspirations. “ Up,” said Deborah to Barak, “ for 
. this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into 
thine hand; is not the Lord gone out before thee ?” 

If from this spirited appeal, it might be unjust to the 
military character of Barak, to cherish a suspicion that 
he manifested some degree of reluctance to attack the 
army of Sisera, overawed by his numerical superiority, 
we cannot help perceiving the wisdom and promptitude 
which actuated the conduct of Deborah. She had an 
eye to discern, and a courage to seize, an important 
crisis. But what most claims our admiration is, an inces¬ 
sant reference to Providence, which marks all her words 
and actions. Nothing of that boastful language, which in¬ 
dicates an arrogant mind, escaped her lips. She evinced 
no self-adulation, and no undue dependence upon human 
resources. How many in similar circumstances, would 
have rushed forward to disproportionate battle with a 
blind impetuosity, trusting to chance for the result: or, 

* Luke xix. 13- 


184 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

inspired alone by personal hatred against the foe^ and a 
thirst for renown, would have hastened to conquer or 
to die ! From our earliest days we have been taught to ad¬ 
mire the heroes of classical story, and have followed 
with acclamations the conquerors of later ages, who 
seem to have rivalled the fame of a Themistocles or a Le¬ 
onidas, and to have reacted the tragical sublimities of Sala- 
mis and Thermopylae ; but, in the present history, we see 
piety clad in the armour of heroism—the achievements 
of military valour ascribed solely to the higher cause of 
a divine superintendence—“ The Lord hath delivered 
Sisera into thine hand; is not the Lord gone out be¬ 
fore thee ?” 

Without detracting however from the military genius of 
Barak, or ascribing an undue pre-eminence to Deborah, 
it may be readily believed, that so disproportionate a 
force as that of the Israelites at first actedy and very pro¬ 
perly acted, on the defensive, till a favourable conjunc¬ 
ture of circumstances occurred ; and, perhaps, some mi¬ 
raculous sign, or some divine inspiration on the mind of 
the prophetess, suggested the moment of attack.* It is 
in fact impossible to determine with any precision where 
human skill ceased to operate, and where divine interpo¬ 
sition commenced ; and so imperfect is our present ac-* 
quaintance with the laws by which spirit and matter are 
connected, that our speculations will certainly be fruitless, 
and may therefore be pronounced unwise. Let us be grate¬ 
ful, that the fact of divine operation on the human mind is 
fully ascertained, and by every sincere Christian pleasing¬ 
ly experienced ; and that, though “ all the Lord’s people” 
are not “ prophets,” the language of kind encouragement 
can never be expunged from the sacred page, “ If ye be¬ 
ing evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, 

* It has been thought probable, that from the expression “Is not the Lord 
gone out before thee,” some angelic messenger or visible appearance, si¬ 
milar to that of the Shekinah, prompted the words and animated the zeal 
of Deborah. The Targurn favours this sentiment: “ Is not the angel 
the Lord gone out before thee to prosper thee f” 


DEBORAH. 


185 


how much more shall 3^our heavenly Father give the 
HOLY SPIRIT to them that ask him 

In obedience to the orders of Deborah, Barak imme¬ 
diately put his little band of intrepid warriors in motion. 
The result was such, as under these circumstances might, 
however astonishing, have been reasonably expected ; 
for “ if God be for us, who can be against us ?” The 
mighty hosts of Canaan, amounting, according to the esti¬ 
mate of Josephus, to three hundred thousand foot, and 
ten thousand horse, vanished before the valiant arm of Is¬ 
rael, nerved as it was by an energy from heaven. Barak 
poured the irresistible torrent of war upon his presump¬ 
tuous foes, and swept them away. 

Josephus states, that “ when they were come to a close 
fight, there came down from heaven a great storm, with 
a vast quantity of rain and hail ; and the wind blew the 
rain in the face of the Canaanites, and so darkened their 
eyes, that their arrows and slings were of no advantage to 
them ; nor would the coldness of the air permit the sol¬ 
diers to make use of their swords ; while this storm did 
not so much incommode the Israelites, because it came in 
their backs. They also took such courage, upon the ap¬ 
prehension that God was assisting them, that they fell up¬ 
on the very midst of their enemies, and slew a great num¬ 
ber of them. - So that some of them fell by the Israelites, 
some fell by their own horses, which were put into dis¬ 
order, and not a few were killed by their own cha¬ 
riots.” 

Scarcely does the history of the world furnish an ex¬ 
ample of so complete a victory, accompanied by so utter 
an annihilation of the enemy. Curiosity might wish to 
trace the various movements of that memorable day, the 
plan of battle, the occasion of defeat, the exploits of indi¬ 
vidual heroes, and a thousand other circumstances, with, 
which fancy often decorates the head of the hero, and 
amplifies the page of the historian ; but with a majestic 


j Luk • xi. 13, 

K2 


186 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


simplicity so eminently characteristic of the sacred nar¬ 
rative, it is stated that “ the Lord discomfited Sisera, and 
all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the 
sword, before Barak ; so that Sisera lighted down off his 
chariot, and fled away on his feet. But Barak pursued 
after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of 
the Gentiles : and all the host of Sisera fell upon the 
edge of the sword ; and there was not a man left.” Who 
will compare with this simple record the language of 
Caesar, though so often celebrated, Veni^ vidi, vici —“ I 
came, I saw, I conquered words at least as remarkable 
for egotism, as for laconic force ; or who would repre¬ 
sent the battle of Ze/a, and the defeat of the Pharna- 
ces as worthy of being named in connexion with the memo¬ 
rable victory of Tabor. 

Sisera, defeated, dispirited, and alone, fled to the tent 
of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, a family which 
Avas at this time at peace with the king of Canaan. It was 
an additional reason to hope for security from the enemy’s 
pursuit, that the custom of the country interdicted the 
intrusion of all strangers into the woman’s apartment. 
Jael moreover went forth to invite this defeated general 
under her protection, and encouraged him to expect every 
attention that humanity could dictate in this moment of 
extremity. No wonder he resigned himself with a fear¬ 
less confidence to her care, and prepared to seek in 
“ balmy sleep” an oblivion of all his distractions. She 
furnishes him with a refreshing draught of milk, though 
he only requested water ; covers him with a mantle, and 
undertakes to guard him from all unwelcome intrusion, 
by standing at the door of the tent, to answer the interro¬ 
gatories of any inquisitive stranger. But no sooner did 
he drop into a sound sleep, than, seizing upon the first 
. weapons that her situation afforded, a nail and a hammer, 
and approaching softly to tlie unconscious general, slie 
drove the nail into his temple, and transfixed him to tlie 
ground. Hastening from her tent, in the transport of 
success, to meet Barak, who was in eager pursuit, she con- 


DEBORAH. 


187 


ducted him to the corpse of his prostrate foe. “ So God 
subdued on that day, Jabin the king of Canaan, before 
the children of Israel.” 

Let us dismiss Jael, for the present, from our medita¬ 
tions, and offer a reflection or two on the fate of Sisera. 

1. No event recorded upon the page of history is more 
calculated to impress upon our minds the assertion of 
Solomon, than that to which we have just given our at¬ 
tention : “ The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to 
the strong ... for man also knoweth not his time, ^s the 
fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that 
are caught in the snare ; so are the sons of men snared 
in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.”^ 
Nothing could have been more improbable, according to 
Iiuman calculations, than the result of this extraordinary 
battle. Who that had seen the far-stretching troops of 
the king of Canaan overspreading, like a vast inundation, 
the vicinity of Kishon and Harosheth, whose polished 
armour glittered along the valley to the rising sun, ac¬ 
customed to victory, breathing revenge, and headed by 
the most distinguished general of the age—who that had 
viewed their prodigious forces, consisting of infantry and 
cavalry, in contrast with the diminutive strength and con¬ 
temptible numbers of the Israelitish army, but must have 
considered the attack as the feeble effort of an unac¬ 
countable infatuation ? But though he who “ sitteth 
upon the circle of the earth,” could have interposed at 
once to crush the foe by the thunder of his power, ten 
thousand men of Israel were appointed to execute his 
purpose against the devoted Canaanites, to show that it 
is his will to work by human means ;—he required the 
employment of only ten thousand, to prove that all hu¬ 
man skill and success is mere instrumentality, and that 
the honour of victory is to be attributed to the God of 
battles. 

2. The enemies of God and his people shall perish 
ingloriously. This is not the only instance. Pharaoh 

* Eccles. ix. 11,12. 




188 


female scripture biography. 


makes ready his own chariot, and takes with him all the' 
chariots of Egypt, in eager pursuit of Israel, just escaped 
from his relentless oppression. In the pride of his 
strength he proclaims, “ I will pursue, I will overtake, I 
will divide the spoil, my lust shall be satisfied upon them 
—I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them 
but there was an arm of superior might that seized the 
unresisting elements, and launched them upon the rash 
adventurer and his guilty myriads. “ Thou didst blow' 
with thy wind, the sea covered them ; they sank as lead 
in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee, O Lord, 
among the gods ?”*—Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sends 
Tartan, and Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh, with a great host 
against Jerusalem, in the reign of Hezekiah. Mark their 
insolent blasphemy : “ Hetirken not unto Hezekiah when 
he persuadeth you, saying. The Lord will deliver us. 
Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his 
land out of the hand of the king of Assyria ? Where are 
the gods of Hamath and of Arpad ? where are the gods of 
Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah ? have they delivered Sa¬ 
maria out of mine hand ? Who are they among all the 
gods of the countries that have delivered their country 
out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusa¬ 
lem out of mine hand ?” A letter was afterward sent to 
the king to the same effect, commencing with this blas¬ 
phemous sentence, “ Let not thy God, in whom thou 
trustest, deceive thee.” Hezekiah instantly repairs to 
the temple, opens his letter in the immediate presence 
of the Eternal, and supplicates his great name for that 
interference in the present extremity, which would de¬ 
liver his people, and promote his own glory. His prayer 
is heard. From the heaven of heavens an angelic envoy 
is despatched to the Assyrian encampment, and with the 
flaming sword of almighty indignation, smites a hundred 
and eighty-jive thousand of the boasting foe ; “ and when 
they arose early in the morning, behold they were all 




XY. 9—11. 


EEBORAH. 


189 


(lead corpses.”'^—Herod ventures upon the dangerous 
experiment of persecuting the church of God : he dares, 
with an untrembling hand, to put James to the sword, and 
ultimately imprison Peter for the same horrid purpose : 
but he who “ sitteth in the heavens” held the presump¬ 
tuous criminal in “utter derision,” despatched an angel 
to break off the chains by which his servant was bound, 
and laid his finger upon the royal rebel to extingush his 
glory and his pride for ever ; “he was eaten of worms, 
and gave up the ghost.”t Ah! the immortality of the 
soul elevates it above mortal power, and the utmost that 
a persecutor can do is, by a painful stroke, to put a Chris¬ 
tian into speedier possession of his promised blessedness. 
“ A tyrant is mortal, his empire expires with his life ; 
and were he to employ the whole course of his life in 
tormenting a martyr, and in trying to impair his felicity, 
he would resemble an idiot throwing stones at the light¬ 
ning, while in an indivisible moment, and with an incon¬ 
ceivable rapidity, it caught his eye as it passed from the 
east to the west.” 

“ Thou dull stupid man, who art not stricken with the 
idea of a God, whose will is self- efficient, and who alone 
can act immediately on an immaterial soul, come and be¬ 
hold some sensible proofs of that infinite power, of which 
metaphysical proofs can give thee no idea ! And thou, 
proud insolent man ! go aboard the last-built vessel, put 
out to sea, set the most vigilant watch, surround thyself 
with the most formidable instruments ; what art thou, 
w'hen ‘ God uttereth his voice V What art thou, when 
the ‘ noise’ resounds ? What art thou when torrents of 
rain seem to threaten a second deluge, and to make the 
globe which thou inhabitest one rolling sea ? What art 
thou when lightnings emit their terrible flashes ? What 
art thou when the ‘ winds’ come roaring ‘ out of their 
treasures?’ What art thou Verily, thou art no 

less than thou wast in thy palace. Thou art no less than 

f Acts xiif- 


* 2 Kings xix. passim. 




190 FEMALE SCRIPTURE IBIOGRAPHTY, 

when thou wast sitting at a delicious table. Thou art no 
less than thou wast when every thing contributed to thy 
pleasure. Thou art no less than when at the head of 
thine army, thou wast the terror of nations, shaking the 
earth with the stunning noise of thy warlike instruments : 
for, at thy festal board, within thy palace, among thy plea¬ 
sures, at the head of thine armies, thou wast nothings 
before the King of nations. As an immaterial and im¬ 
mortal creature, thou art subject to his immediate power : 
but, to humble and to confound thee, he must manifest him¬ 
self to thee in sensible objects. Behold him, then, in 
this formidable situation : try thy power against his : 
silence ‘ the noise of the multitude of waters fasten 
the vessel that ‘ reeleth like a drunken mansmooth 
the foaming waves that ‘ mount thee up to heaven fill 
up the horrible gulfs whither thou goest ‘ down to the 
bottoms of the mountains dissipate the lightning that 
flasheth in thy face ; hush the bellowing thunders ; con¬ 
fine the winds in their caverns ; assuage the anguish of 
thy soul, and prevent its melting and exhaling with fear. 
How diminutive is man ! How many ways hath God to 
confound his pride ! * He uttereth his voice, and there 
is a noise of a multitude of waters in the heavens. He 
causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth. 
He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the 
wind out of his treasures. Who would not fear thee, O 
King of nations V 

It is necessary, however, to remark, that we are not 
authorized always to expect the strict exercise of retri¬ 
butive justice in the present state. Some remarkable 
visitations have, in all periods, roused the attention of 
an astonished world, and powerfully appealed to the un¬ 
derstandings of men, in vindication of the character, and in 
proof of the existence, of a superintending Providence. 
Tyrants have been hurled from their thrones, empires 
uprooted from their foundations, and the “ poor set on 




DEBORAH. 


191 


high from oppression but these dispensations have 
not been regular, nor can they be calculated upon as 
certain, or in general, perhaps, as probable. They 
have been sufficiently numerous to indicate an observant 
though invisible eye fixed upon human affairs ; but not 
so frequent as to supersede the Christian’s anticipa¬ 
tions of a day of final and impartial judgment. The pre¬ 
sent may indeed be considered rather as a time of per¬ 
mitted confusion, the period of moral chaos, in which 
the elements of a new creation exist, but in a disor¬ 
ganized state ; in which the principles of depraved human 
nature are permitted to develope themselves, and human 
j)assion3 are suffered to act in an ample field of exertion 
w'ith comparatively little control, and for the purpose 
of ultimately promoting the glory of God. Hereafter 
“ the morning stars” will “ sing together,” and all “ the 
sons of God” again “ shout for joy,” when “ all things 
that offend shall be gathered out of his kingdom,” when 
sinners shall be everlastingly degraded, Christ for ever 
exalted, the most mysterious dispensations shine with 
transparent brightness in the light of eternity, and the 
unfading paradise of the saints bloom amidst the wrecks 
of time. 

3. “ Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou know- 
est not what a day may bring forth.”* Little did Sisera 
imagine the fatal reverses he was destined to suffer, 
when in all the pride of fancied superiority, sustained 
by the recollection of the successes of twenty years, he 
made his arrangements for the battle with Barak and De¬ 
borah. What a contrast between the moment of confi¬ 
dent preparation, and that of disgraceful retreat! What 
a mighty and unexpected contrast between the high-spi¬ 
rited general at the head of his army, and the trembling 
fugitive hiding himself in a tent, and slain by a woman. 

Let us apply the reflection to ourselves. How often 
do we form our schemes, and calculate on temporal 


* Prov. xxvii. 1. 


192 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


prosperities, without any due regard to the will of Pro¬ 
vidence, or any proper consideration of the uncertainty 
of life. “ We live without God in the world,” an omni¬ 
scient Deity has no existence in our minds, and we inquire 
“ who will show us any good ?” as if God were not the 
chief good, or could not supply our happiness. 

Alas! how often have we boasted of to-morrow by 
neglecting, in a religious sense, the most important busi¬ 
ness of to-day. It is not easy to imagine a more dangerous 
state of mind, than that of a person, whose resolutions 
of repentance and amendment all respect futurity, be¬ 
cause he makes these very resolutions an excuse for his 
negligences, and even considers them as an expiation of 
the guilt of his procrastinating temper. It is indeed an af¬ 
fecting thought, that so thick a mist surrounds us, we are 
not only unacquainted with the events of years to come, 
we do not know what a day may bring forth. It may 
produce a change in our circumstances—our faculties— 
our friendships—our hopes.—An hour—a moment, may 
waft us from time into eternity! “ Now,” then, “ is the 
accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation.”— 
“ Seek the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon 
him while he is near.” 

4. Mount Tabor has been repeatedly mentioned as the 
place where Deborah directed that the forces of Zebulon 
and Naphtali should be concentrated, and its immediate 
vicinity as the scene of the celebrated contest between 
Barak and Sisera ; but though it may appear a digression 
from the present subject, it would be scarcely pardonable 
to omit a reference to that still more wonderful circum¬ 
stance, the transfiguration of Jesus Christ, which proba¬ 
bility and tradition concur in assigning to the same re¬ 
markable spot. Three of his disciples, Peter, James^ 
and John, accompanied him to this moutnain, where two 
bright spirits from among the glorified saints, Moses and 
Elias, descended to join their society. Delightful pledge 
of that inseparable union which will one day take place 
upon the summits of immortality, when “ the general as- 


DEBORAH. 193 

seinbly and church of the first-born” shall associate to¬ 
gether in the realms of bliss ! 

“ O happy, happy company, 

Where men and heavenly spirits greet, 

And those whom death hath severed meet, 

And hold again communion sweet; 

O happ) , happy conipany !” 

What though death at present divides them, and while 
some of this glorious family have reached their destined 
habitation, others are left on earth to struggle with the 
calamities of life ; the separation is but temporary, and 
will serve to heighten the raptures of union, when 
they shall come from the east and from the west, from 
the north and from the south, and sit down with Abraham, 
and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of God. 

And what will constitute the heaven of believers ? 
Doubtless the vision of the Lamb, converse with Jesus, 
and perpetual intercourse with saints of all nations and 
ages. Moses and Elias descended “from the raptures of 
immortality to talk with Jesus on the mount, and the 
same divine communion will form a considerable portion 
of our felicity in the invisible world. To be for ever 
near him, and to “ see him as he is”—to converse of the 
things of his kingdom—to learn from his own lips the 
purpose of all his most inscrutable dispensations to the 
church and to each believer, tfie reason of every sorrow, 
and the nature of its connexion with our ultimate happi¬ 
ness—to hold fellowship with all his redeemed, holy 
patriarchs, distinguished apostles, and victorious martyrs 
—to be encircled with all his family, emparadised in his 
embraces, and united to all who love him in bonds of in¬ 
dissoluble affection; no sea to separate, no discord to 
agitate, no enemies to infest the unbroken circle of friend¬ 
ship—this will be “ joy unspeakable and full of glory.” 
Not the delight of Moses, when conversing with God in 
the burning bush, at the door of the tabernacle, or in 
mount Sinai—not the transports of David, when his en¬ 
chanted spirit waked the lyre of praise and gratitude-^ 

VoL. I. s 


194 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


not the bliss of the three favoured disciples, even on this 
mount of transfiguration, can be compared with this per¬ 
fect happiness. All the little streams of felicity which 
flow to the church of God in the desert, will then be 
collected into one vast ocean, in which the tears and sor¬ 
rows of time will be eternally lost. The pleasures of a 
moment, which now solace us by the way, will be ex¬ 
changed for the permanent joys of that celestial inherit¬ 
ance, in which “ the Lamb, which is in the midst of the 
throne, shall lead us, and feed us by fountains of living 
waters ; and God shall wipe away all' tears from our 
eyes.”* By the anticipations of fiiith, we are “ come 
unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the 
heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of 
angels, to the general assembly and church of the first¬ 
born which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge 
of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to 
Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant.”! 

* Rev. vii. 17. f Heb. xii. 22—24. 


DEBORAH. 


SECTION II. 

Capacity of Deborah as a poetess—Paraphrase of her remarkable song’ 

composed to celebrate the victory over Sisera. 

On a favoured few,” says an elegant writer, “ has 
been conferred the combined glory of acting nobly and 
writing well; of serving their own day and generation 
with credit to themselves and advantage to their country, 
and of transmitting useful information to regions remote 
and generations unborn. On the list of those illustrious 
few, stands, with distinguished honour, the name of Debo¬ 
rah, the judge, the prophetess, the sweet singer of Israel; 
and it is with exultation we observe the most dignified, 
arduous, and important stations of human life filled with 
reputation by a woman ; a woman who first with reso¬ 
lution and intrepidity saved her country in the hour of 
danger and distress, and ruled it with wisdom and equity, 
and then recorded her own achievements in strains which 
must be held in admiration so long as good taste and the 
love of virtue exist in the world.” 

Years before remarkable victory we have just re- 

Christ, 1285. lated and remarked upon, is celebrated by 
Deborah in a poem, which claims our attention as one of 
the most ancient in the world, having been composed up¬ 
wards of four hundred years before the birth of Homer, 
and which is characterized by unusual pathos and sub¬ 
limity. Many passages in it are confessedly obscure, 
which will not be deemed surprising, when it is recol¬ 
lected how imperfectly we are acquainted, in this distant 
period, with the various circumstances, incidents, and 
localities of the memorable event it celebrates, and even 
with the original language in which it was written. 



19G 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


Dr. Lowth’^ very properly divides this poem into three 
parts ; first, the exordium ; next, a recital of the cir¬ 
cumstances which preceded, and of those which accom¬ 
panied the victory ; lastly, a fuller description of the 
concluding event, the death of Sisera, and the disappoint¬ 
ed hopes of his mother ; which is embellished with the 
choicest flowers of poetry. 

It is proposed in the present chapter to furnish an ex¬ 
tended paraphrase of this fine specimen of ancient po¬ 
etry, for the purpose chiefly of illustrating its meaning. 
Its various beauties as a composition can scarcely fail of 
striking the most superficial reader. It occupies the 
fifth chapter of the book of Judges. 


TEXT. 


PARAPHRASE. 


1. Then sang Deborah, and 
Barak the son of Abinoaoi} 
on that day, saying, 


2. Praise ye the Lord 
fjr the avenging of Israel, 
when the people willingly 
offered themselves. 


Deeply impressed with a grateful 
sense of that remarkable interposition 
of Providence for the deliverance of 
Israel from the long tyranny of their 
inveterate enemies, which Deborah 
and Barak saw accomplished by their 
own instrumentality, the one direct¬ 
ing by her wisdom what the other 
performed by his valour, they sang a 
sacred ode on the very same day ; a 
day so wonderful for its dangers, 
anxieties, and triumphs. It was to 
this effect: 

Give thanks, ye tribes of Israel, to 
the God of battles, who has smitten 
the daring foe, and thus avenged out- 
wrongs. “ The hearts of all rnr^n are 
in his hands,” and instead of internal 
dissention enfeebling our energies, he 
has graciously disposed the people of 
Zebulun and TMaphtali to offer their 
zealous services in the war ; a w-ar 
which patriotism and piety have, un^- 


Lectures on the Sacred Poetry of the Hebrews. 


DEBORAH. 


197 


der the blessing of Heaven, conduct¬ 
ed to a glorious terniniatjou. 

3. Hear, O ye kings; Let the voice of praise, uttered 
give ear, O ye princes; 1, from the tiiousauds of Israel, resound 
even 1, will sing unto the to distant nations, so that Gentile 
Lord; 1 will sing praise princes and potentates may hear of 
to the Lord God of Israel, the miracles of mercy wrought for 

the covenanted people of God. Ye 
idolatrous rulers of the world, reject 
for ever your gods of wood and stone, 
for 1 am called to celebrate the ma¬ 
jesty of Jehovah, who has triumphed 
over them ; and will sing to the ho¬ 
nour of him who, though no local di¬ 
vinity, has chosen the children of 
Israel as hi.s peculiar people. 

4. Lord, when thou went- This illustrious day revives the re- 

cst out of Seir, when thou collection of those ancient interposi- 
inarchedst out of the field tions of the strong arm of Omnipo- 
of Edom, .the earth trem- tence for our ancestors, which have 
bled, and the heavens drop- often excited our admiration, and of 
ped, the clouds also drop- which this appears like the conti- 
ped water. nuation of a miraculous series. O 

5. The mountains melted God ! what a period was that when 

from before the Lord, even Israel marched round the confines of 
that Sinai, from before the Idumea, and the majesty of thy pro- 
Lord God of Israel. tecting presence was displayed before 

the enemy, in the pillar of cloud by 
day and of fire by night. Edom re¬ 
fused a passage through their land, 
but so terrible were thy signs, that 
the trembling earth, the tempestua- 
ted heavens—all nature seemed to 
avenge the cause of thine insulted 
people; and the surrounding nations 
were smitten with terror, as when 
mount Sinai herself quaked, and 
for a ti-ne disappeared amidst the 
tremendous glory of the divine pre¬ 
sence. These wonders do not sur« 
pass what we have witnessed to-day, 



198 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


6 . In the days of Shamgar, 
the son of Anatli,in the days 
of Jael, the highways were 
unoccupied, and the travel¬ 
lers walked through by¬ 
ways. 

7. The inhabitants of the 
villages ceased, they ceased 
in Israel, until that I, 
Deborah, arose, that I arose 
a mother in Israel. 


8 , They chose new gods; 
ihen was war in the gates 5 
was there a shield or spear 
seen among forty thousand 
in Israel? 


and which prove that none shall op¬ 
press thy people with impunity.* 

Turn your weeping eyes to the re¬ 
cent miseries of our country Sham- 
gar, indeed, who succeeded Ehud as 
judge, effected something for Israel, 
and Jael shall never be forgotten for 
her heroism and her useful exertions, 
although in a private station; but 
alas! the long tyranny of our op¬ 
pressors continued to produce the 
most disastrous effects—trade perish¬ 
ed, for no caravans of merchants 
dared to occupy the public ways, in¬ 
fested as they were with an armed 
banditti ; the life of the unoffending 
traveller became endangered, and the 
dejected inhabitants of the couutry 
were afraid to venture abroad, except 
as thieves, stealing through the most 
unfrequented paths, and even there 
the most dreadful outrages were com¬ 
mitted ; until I, Deborah arose, and 
notwithstanding the weakness of my 
sex, and the desperate situation of 
affairs, became the happy instrument 
of benefiting Israel, by the restora¬ 
tion of public justice, general secu¬ 
rity, and national glory. 

But trace our former miseries to 
their sonree Israel relapsed into 
idolatry, and God punished them with 
the scourge of war. The insulting 
foe pressed to the very gates of our 
fortified cities—the means of defence 
were utterly neglected in ccasequeuce 


* The historical rt ference appears to be to the narrative in the twentieth 
chapter of Numbers, in which the refusal of Edom to allow the children of 
lsi*ael to go through their borders is recorded. Some extraordinary circum¬ 
stances seem referred to, not mentioned in the sacred page, but possibly 
tremsmitted by tradition to the times of Deborah. Seir is a mountain of 
Idumea. The language is highly figurative, and denotes earthquakes and 
storms. “ The mountains melted,” that is, part of their surface was carried 
down by the force of excessive torrents of rain. 


DEBORAH. 


199 


9. My heart is toward the 
governors of Israel, that of¬ 
fered themselves willingly 
among the people. Bless ye 
the Lord. 


10. Speak ye that ride on 
white, asses, ye that sit in 
judgment, and walk by the 
way. 


11 . They that are deli¬ 
vered from the noise of 
archers in the places of 
drawing water, there shall 
they rehearse the right- 
teous acts of the Lord, 
even the righteous acts 


of general despondency, and no ade¬ 
quate supply of arms could be fur¬ 
nished to repel the infuriated enemy. 

My warmest affections are due to 
the chiefs of Israel, who, in the hour 
of calamity and apprehension, did not 
shrink from danger nor tremble at 
death; but, in the true spirit of pa¬ 
triotism, accompanied the people to 
battle, placed themselves at their 
head, flew at ray first mandate to de¬ 
fend the common cause, and anima¬ 
ted our warriors by their noble en¬ 
thusiasm. Let them unite in this 
anthem of praise to Jehovah, who 
had the best opportunities of know¬ 
ing, that nothing but his gracious in¬ 
terposition could have procured such 
unparalleled success. 

Rejoice, ye nobles and judges of 
the land, w'ho have the honourable dis¬ 
tinction of riding upon white asses,^ 
the most valuable animal of the kind, 
and therefore appropriated to persons 
of your rank : shout for joy, because 
now there is no impediment to the 
exercise of your high offices ; and ye, 
merchants, assist in the song, for no 
obstruction remains to commercial 
intercourse; the ways are clear, com¬ 
munications open, and your maraud¬ 
ing foes shall alarm you no more. 

Ye shepherds, who a short time 
since scarcely dared to drive your 
flocks to the watering-places, and 
ye maidens, who were afraid to go 
and draw for your daily supply, or 
went in silence lest the smalle.st 
noise should rouse your ever-watch- 


* The ass derives its name from a Hebrew word signifying redness, the 
usual colour of this animal, but some are white. The word translated white 
is zechorof, and may perhaps refer to the zebra, which the Ethiopians call 
zechora, and which is generally considered as one of the most beautiful of 
living creatures. It is sometimes culled the wild ass. 





200 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


towards the inhabitants 
of his villagfes in Israel; 
then shall the people of 
the Lord go down to the 
gates. 


12. Awake, awake, Debo¬ 
rah ! awake, awake, utter 
a song! arise, Barak, and 
lead thy captivity captive, 
thou son of Abinoam! 


13. Then he made him 
that remaineth have do- 
minon over the nobles 
among the people; the 
Lord made me have do¬ 
minion over the mighty. 


14. Out of Ephraim was 
there a root of them against 


ful enemies,* now sing with a loud 
voice, and without the least appre¬ 
hension, and unite with the husband¬ 
men, and vine-dressers, in extolling 
that miraculous mercy which has re¬ 
stored to your most unprotected ha¬ 
bitations the blessings of peace and 
security. The gates of our cities 
shall no longer be shut for fear of the 
enemy, and the people may again re¬ 
pair to these seats of justice and judg- 
ment.f 

Let not my exhausted powers drop 
the exulting strain; but rather, O 
Deborah, kindle with fresh enthu¬ 
siasm upon every new view of the 
glorious subject! Exert thy utmost 
powers of praise upon this inexhaust¬ 
ible theme ! And thou, companion 
and instrument of victory, Barak, 
arise! exhibit the captive foe who 
once led Israel captive! let the spoils 
of triumphant war be shown, and thou 
and thy father’s name shall be had in 
everlasting remembrance! 

Alas! to what a wretched state 
was Israel reduced ; but even this 
remnant of former greatness, this 
weak and dispirited handful, God em¬ 
ployed to crush the power of Canaan 
and the presumption of her nobles: 
and, be it spoken to his glory, the 
Lord made even me, a feeble woman, 
the conqueror of formidable armies, 
and the saviour of a sinking state. 

Those noble warriors who hasten¬ 
ed to the conflict with so much cou- 


* “ Dr. Shaw mentions a beautiful rill in Barbary, which is received into 
a large basin, called 'ihrub we kruh (drink and away,) there being great 
danger of meeting there with rogues and assassins. If such places are 
proper for the lurking of murderers in times of peace, they must be pioper 
for the lying in ambush in times of war; a circumstance that Deborah 
takes notice of in her song. Judges v. 11.” Harmer. 

f GaUs were anciently the places where they held their courts of ju¬ 
dicature. In the towers there were very spacious and haiidsome state¬ 
rooms. 


BEBORAH. 


201 


Amalek ; after thee, Benja¬ 
min, among thy people out 
of Machir, came down go¬ 
vernors, and out of Zebu- 
lun, they that handle the 
pen of the writer. 


\ 


15. And the princes of 
Issachar were with Deborah, 
even Issachar and also Ba¬ 
rak ; be was sent uu foot into 
the valley. For the divi¬ 
sions of Reuben there were 
great thoughts of heart. 


16. Why abodest thou 
among the sheepfolds, to 
hear the bleatings of the 
flocks ? For the divisions 
of Reuben there were great 
searchings of heart. 


17. Gilead abode beyond 
Jordan : and why did Dan 
remain in ships ? Asher con- 


rage, and conquered with so much 
glory, have not only rendered them¬ 
selves, but their tribes, forever illus¬ 
trious. Ephraim originated the ex¬ 
pedition, who had on a former occa¬ 
sion discomflted Amalek,* and now 
manifested an heroic zeal against 
them and the confederates of Ja- 
bin; Benjamin caught the holy in¬ 
fection of hatred against the enemies 
of the Lord, and first rushed to the 
fierce encounter-, Machir, the half 
tribe of Manasseh, despatched her 
great men with their forces, and Ze- 
bulun sent her sons more** famed in¬ 
deed as a commercial tribe for hand¬ 
ling the pen than the sword, but w’ho 
readily came forward to aid the com¬ 
mon cause. 

The ohiefs of Issachar repaired to 
Deborah and Barak in mount Tabor^ 
and with them the strength of their 
tribe. 1 ney descended into the val¬ 
ley as foot-soldiers with Barak, and 
trembled not at the chariots and ca¬ 
valry of Sisera. But alas ! for Reu¬ 
ben, whose internal dissentions issued 
in a shameful neutrality; a circum¬ 
stance deeply perplexing and vexa¬ 
tious to their brethren. 

Why didst thou obey the dictates 
of a selfish spirit and a carnal policy, 
and while engrossed with thy flocks 
arid herds, refusedst to listen to the 
cries of thy brethn n in distress, and 
the loud calls of Deborah and Barak ? 
Alas! for the dissentions of Reuben! 
What painful thoughts, what dread¬ 
ful anxieties were occasioned by such 
unaccountable and unpatriotic con¬ 
duct! 

Influenced by a similar temper, Gi¬ 
lead, or Gad, remained inactive in 
their possessions beyond Jordan, as 


* Exod. xvii. 13. 








202 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


thiued on the sea-shore, and 
abode in his breaches. 


18. Zebulun and Naph- 
tali were a people that jeo¬ 
parded their lives unto the 
death in the high places of 
the field. * 


19. The kings came and 
fought; then fought the 
kings of Canaan in Taanach 
by the waters of Megiddo: 
they took no gain of money. 


20 . They fought from 
heaven; the stars in their 
courses fought against Si- 
sera. 


21 . The river of Kishon 
swept them away, that an¬ 
cient river, the river Ki 
shon. O ray soul, thou hast 
trodden down strength! 


though, happy themselves, they were 
insensible to the miseries of others; 
and why didst thou, O Dan, regard¬ 
ing only thy merchandise and thy 
gainful navigation, continue motion¬ 
less in the day of our calamity ? And 
see how Asher imitated the base ex¬ 
ample, abiding within the ruijied walls 
of his cities, and in his bays and ha¬ 
vens! 

But Zebulun and Naphtali have 
acquired immortal renown, by cheer¬ 
fully hazarding their lives and their 
all, when they assembled in the 
heights of Tabor, and impetuously 
rushed upon the foe in the valley 
where Kishon flows.* 

Dire was the strife and vast the 
struggle whf*n the confederate kings 
of Canaan fought in Taanach and 
near Megiddo, to which places in the 
tribe of Issachar their mighty forces 
eAteuded. prcoeed eagerly and 

freely to the war, but how were their 
vain hopes disappointed when they 
returned without spoils. 

The awful contest was decided by 
the God of Heaven. His angels, his 
elements—all nature aided our right¬ 
eous cause; and the stars of the fir¬ 
mament lighted our midnight pur¬ 
suit, and shone disastrously upon the 
fugitive enemy. 

The river Kishon rising, as if elat¬ 
ed with joy at the opportunity, and 
overflowing its banks swept thousands 
away; that river celebrated in an¬ 
cient times, and the witness of former 
conflicts. O Deborah, thou art in¬ 
deed thrice happy in becoming the 
favoured instrument of exciting this 


* The Vulgate reads, in the country of Merom, alluding to the place 
where Joshua fought a former king of Canaan. The waters of Merom ar© 
supposed to be the same as Kishon. Comp. Josh. xi. 5. Ps. Ixxxiii. 9. 


DEBORAH. 


203 


22 . Then were the horse- 
hoofs broken by the means 
of the prancings, the pran- 
cings of their mighty ones. 

23. Curse ye Meroz, said 
the angel of the Lord; curse 
ye bitterly the inhabitants 
thereof j because they came 
not to the help of the Lord, 
to the help of the Lord 
against the mighty. 

24. Blessed above women 
shall Jael the wife of Heber 
theKenitebej blessed shall 
she be above women in the 
tent. 


25. He asked water and 
she gave him milk; she 
brought forth butter in a 
lordly dish. 


26. She put her hand to 
the nail, and her right hand 
to the workmen’s hammer j 


glorious war, and thus eventually of 
crushing a most formidable confede¬ 
racy! 

The war-horse, urged in his rapid 
flight over the flinty soil, cut his hoofs 
to pieces; or entangled amidst the 
overflowings of Kishon, pranced, and 
foamed, and perished.* 

The angel, who preceded our hosts 
as the sword of an irresistible Provi. 
dence, denounced a curse upon the 
city of Meroz, and commanded us to 
cherish a holy indignation against its 
lukewarm inhabitants, who, instead 
of resisting the giant armies of Ca¬ 
naan, remained as uninterested or ti¬ 
mid spectators of the dreadful battle. 

But feminine heroism shall be ex¬ 
hibited in honourable contrast with 
such shameful neutrality. Let the 
benediction of Heaven rest upon the 
head of Jael, the wife of Heber 
the Kenite, above all other women! 
Blessed shall she be above all other 
female heads of families who remain¬ 
ed at home, having with masculine 
courage completed in her tent what 
was so happily begun in the field. 

Sisera, famished and fainting, re¬ 
quested water to allay his thirst; she 
opened a leathern bottle, and with 
feigned respect presented him with 
butter-milk ; yes, she poured him out 
butter-milk in a vessel of copper, such 
as nobles use.f 

Lulled into a fatal security by her 
deceptive homage, he slept—to wake 
no more! She seized a nail of her 


* There is a remarkable alliteration here in the original Hebrew, 
rd*^mO, middaharoth daharoth. Some have supposed it a poeti¬ 
cal imitation of the sound of the trampling of horses, and compare this pas¬ 
sage with the celebrated line of Virgil— 

“ Quadrupedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum.” 

ViRG. .£n. viii. v. 595. 

I Comp. Harmib’s Observations,Jvol. i. pp. 216 & 445. 



204 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


and with the hammer she 
smote Sisera; she smote off 
his head, when she had pier¬ 
ced and stricken through his 
temples. 

’27- At her feet he bowed, 
he fell, he lay down; at her 
feet he bowed, he fell: where 
he bowed, there he fell down 
dead. 

28. The mother of Sisera 
looked out at a window, and 
cried through the lattice. 
Why is his chariot so long 
in coming? Why tarry the 
wheels of his chariots ? 


tent and a hammer, approached in 
cautious silence the sleeping adver¬ 
sary of Israel, and, animated by an 
irresistible impulse of patriotic zeal, 
she drove it through his temples, and 
cut off his head. 

Thus fell the great instrument of 
Canaanitish oppression at the feet of 
a woman: thus ingloriously he pe¬ 
rished.* 

O day of triumph! Methinks the 
mother of Sisera, anticipating the 
fruits of victory and the final subjec¬ 
tion of all Israel to their oppressor’s 
yoke, stood at her window, chiding 
the tardy moments, and impatiently 


* It has often been inquired, on what principle this action of Jael, which 
is so apparently repugnant to the laws of honourable warfare, and even of 
common humanity, could be so eulogized by Deborah ? The Kenites and 
the Canaanites were in alliance ; and besides, the rights of hospitality have 
always been most scrupulously regarded, especially in the early ages of the 
world. To these considerations the ingenious Saurin replies, that in order 
to judge of this affair, it would be necessarj' to know' the nature of the 
treaty between Heber and the Canaanites; because, according to Puffen- 
dorf, if two agreements cannot be pei'forn^ed, of which the one was made 
with and the other without an oath, the latter ought to yield to the former ; 
and we cannot tell but this latter might be the nature of the agreement 
between-the Kenites and the Canaanites. He conceives also, that a justifi¬ 
cation of Jael’s conduct might be found in the character of Sisera, pleading 
that we are not required to keep good faith, or to show lenity to those exe¬ 
crable persons wdio only avail themselves of our regard to these virtues, to 
violate them in their conduct to others, to falsify their promises, and carry 
blood and carnage wherever they go. Under this impression, he prays 
that Providence may never raise up among us Jabins or Siseras ; but if the 
justice of God should see fit to employ such scourges for our correction, 
that his mercy would send Jaels to eft’ect our deliverance. Comp. Saurin 
Discours Historiques, tom. iii. 1m defaite deJabinet de Sizera, p. 318—322. 
I confess this reasoning is not quite satisfactory; nor indeed will any rea¬ 
soning upon this remarkable transaction be so, till we allow that there were 
circumstances which the Spirit of God has not seen fit to disclose, and that 
Jael most probably acted under the influence of some divine intimation. 
Long w'as it the revealed w'ill of God that the Canaanites should be exter¬ 
minated, and Israel had been criminally negligent of his commands. It 
must, doubtless, be admitted, that the general authority which they had re¬ 
ceived, independent even of any acts of oppression, was paramount to every 
other consideration, and sufficient to justify the most implacable hostility. 


DEBORAFl. 


207 


29. Her wise ladies an- 
sweied her, yea, she return¬ 
ed answer to herself, 

30. Have they not sped? 
have they’not divided the 
prey; to every man a dam¬ 
sel or two; to Sisera a prey 
of divers colours, a prey of 
divers colours of needle¬ 
work, of divers colours of 
needlework on both sides, 
meet for the necks of them 
that take the spoil ? 


31. So let all thine ene¬ 
mies perish, O Lord: but 
let them that love him be as 
the SUM when he goeth forth 
in his might. 


exclaiming from behind the lattice- 
work, Why is the chariot of our vic¬ 
torious general so long in return ng? 
Whence this painful delay? Hasten, 
ye fleet animals, that draw his cha¬ 
riots, and restore him to our embra¬ 
ces! 

Her maids of honour, who were 
scarcely less eager than herself to see 
the laurelled conqueror, answ^ered 
her; yea, chiding for a moment her 
own impatient expressions, as if they 
indicated a doubt of success, she said 
within herself. Have they not suc¬ 
ceeded in discovering the enemy?— 
Doubtless they have. Have they not 
enriched themselves with immense 
booty, and apportioned an Israelitish 
damsel or two to our brave warriors? 
—Yes, yes, this must occasion some 
delay, and let them enjoy the reward 
of their valour. As for Sisera, the most 
beautiful captives are his portion, and 
shall be the slaves of his will; the 
most elegant dresses, curiously inter¬ 
woven and wrought with the needle, 
such as may well be deemed worthy 
of heroes, shall grace his triumph 
and heighten his renown. 

But who can describe their utter 
disappointment!—So shamefully, so 
totally, let all the enemies of thy peo¬ 
ple, and all the opponents of thy do¬ 
minion in the earth perish, O Lord, 
from before thy face for ever! But 
let all those who arc animated with 
a sacred zeal for thy glory resemble 
the morning sun as he advances ra¬ 
pidly to his meridian splendour; let 
them increase in usefulness, influ¬ 
ence, and esteem, the honour of hu¬ 
man nature, and the lights of the 
world. 


Vgl 1. 


T 


mji:jvoah^s wife. 


CHAPTER IX. 


State of Israel—appearance of an angel to the wife of Manoah—she com¬ 
municates the design of his visit to her husband—second manifeslation 
from heaven—result of the interview—reflection of Manoah’s wife sta¬ 
ted and analyzed—Considerations deducible from the narrative—to 
avoid precipitancy of judgment—to avow our convictions at every suit¬ 
able opportunity— to feel assured that the providence of God does never 
really, though it may apparently, contradict his word. 


Obscurity of station or of birth has no tendency to 
preclude the favour of God. In this respect, he “ seeth 
not as man seeth but, in the past dispensations of his 
mercy, appears to have preferred the lowly as objects of 
high and distinguishing manifestations. This is the case 
in the Christian era, and to the present hour the stream 
of celestial goodness pursues its silent and chosen course, 
chiefly down the vales of poverty and wretchedness. 

We see from the histories of Scripture, that in seasons 
of national defection, there have existed pleasing instances 
of individual piety. Amidst universal darkness, some 
Stars of considerable miignitude have shed a light, though 
comparatively feeble, athwart the moral hemisphere. 
God has never totally suspended his intercourse with 
man, even in the worst of times, nor suffered the series 
of his communications to be entirely broken. If, during 
certain disastrous periods, truth has been eclipsed, it 
has not been extinguished : the watchful eye of Provi¬ 
dence has never been removed from the earth, nor 
has' the divine hand ceased to interpose in terrestrial 
affairs. , 


Years before 


The history of Manoah and his wife is in- 
Christ, about troduced by an allusion to the state of Israel. 

1156. people, in consequence of returning to 

the commission of those sins for which they were so 


manoah’s wife. 


207 


notorious, were delivered up to their oppressors forty 
years. The Philistines were, in fact, very inconsidera¬ 
ble, in comparison to the Israelites, having only five ci¬ 
ties of any importance ; yet they were the appointed 
scourge in the divine hand to chastise his people. Thus 
he imparts power to the weak, or enfeebles ‘ the energy 
of the strong, to accomplish his omniscient purposes. 

On a certain occasion, an angel of the Lord appeared to 
the wife of Manoah with most welcome tidings. She was 
a sufferer from the same cause which tried the faith and 
patience of so many of the illustrious females of the patri¬ 
archal age : and, to alleviate those painful anxieties which 
good people at that period were accustomed to cherish 
for a family, but especially to evince the unceasing regard 
of Heaven to the interests of Israel, the commissioned spirit 
announced to her the conception of a son ; and giving her 
at the same time some directions respecting her own mode 
of living, and the devotement of the future Samson as a 
Nazarite from the womb, assured her that he should be¬ 
come the deliverer of Israel from Philistine subjection.* 
It does not seem as if she were commanded to tell her 
husband ; nevertheless, she immediately hastens to dis¬ 
close to him every circumstance that had transpired. To 
whom could she so properly confide this important se¬ 
cret ? who, excepting herself, could be so deeply interest¬ 
ed ; or who so worthy of sharing her utmost confidence ? 
Between relatives so dear, and so closely allied, there 
should be few or no concealments. On every subject 
they are entitled to reciprocal confidence, which is the 
life of friendship and the soul of love : and whether it be 
for advice or for congratulation, the husband should 
share the feelings, the sympathies, the unreserved affec¬ 
tions of the wife, and the wife those of her husband. 
These tender relatives may derive advantage especially 
from reciprocal communications on religious topics, and 
points of pious experience. By this means, they may 
sweeten and sanctify domestic enjoyments ; by this rer 
new and purify the flame of affection. 





208 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

* 

The simplicity and veracity of the wife of Manoah ap¬ 
pear in her address to him. Then the woman came and 
told her’ husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, 
and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel 
of God, very terrible ; but I asked him not whence he 
was, neither told he me his name. But he said unto me. 
Behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a son ; and now 
drink no wine, nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean 
thins:: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God, from 
the womb to the day of his death. 

The injunction respecting her own abstinence was no 
arbitrary requirement, but was founded in nature and 
reason. The temper of the mind, is materially affected 
by the state of the body, and both may concur in com¬ 
municating permanent impressions from the mother to 
her offspring, which often affect the comfort of exist¬ 
ence. 

The condition to which her child was thus devoted 
requires a brief historical elucidation. The term Na¬ 
zarite signifies separated; and is commonly applied to 
persons who make a vow to live in a more holy manner 
than others, either during a certain specified number of 
years, or ever after the pledge is given, without recant¬ 
ation or change. The Nazarite abstained from every 
kind of intoxicating liquor, “ from wine and strong 
drink,” from vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, 
and from grapes, whether moist or dried ; he was to let 
his hair grow, and upon no pretext whatever to approach 
a dead body, though it were to render funeral honours 
to a father or mother. If, during the period of a vow, 
the Nazarite neglected any of these injunctions, the whole 
ceremony was to recommence. The least admissible 
time for this consecration was, according to some of the 
•lewish Rabbins, thirty days ; and the 'perpetual Naza- 
rite whose hair had been allowed to grow for many 
years, might cut it once. At the expiration of the ap-. 


* Jud^. xiii. 6, 7- 


manoah’s wife. 


209 


pointed term, various sacrifices were to be offered, a 
particular enumeration of which is given in the sixth chap¬ 
ter of the book of Numbers. After this, the priest shaved 
the head of the Nazarite at the door of the tabernacle, and 
burnt his hair on the fire of the altar. If the person 
died previous to the expiration of his vow, his son was 
required to fulfil the time, and offer the same sacrifices. 
Perpetual Nazarites, like Samson, were consecrated by 
their parents ; but there is a peculiarity attaching to him 
above all others of whom we read, being devoted even 
before his birth. Similar rites were observed amongst 
the heathen, especially the Egyptians, the Greeks, and 
the Romans, the origin of which is unquestionably to be 
referred to the Jewish law.^ 

As soon as Manoah was informed by his wife of the 
visit she had received, and the delightful promises she 
had heard, he entreated God to permit the return of the 
messenger, whom he supposed to have been a prophet. 
“ When,” says Bishop Hall, “ I see the strength of Ma- 
noah’s faith, I marvel not that he had a Samson to his 
t son : he saw not the messenger, he heard not the er- 

5 rand, he examined not the circumstances ; yet now he 

i takes thought, not whether he should have a son, but 

i'i how he shall order the son which he must have ; and 

» sues to God, not for the son which as yet he had not, 

i but for the direction of governing him, when he should 

I be. Zachary had the same messvige, and craving a sign, 
i lost that voice wherewith he craved it. Manoah seeks 
no sign for the promise, but counsel for himself; and yet 
that angel spake to Zachary himself, this only to the wife 
I of Manoah ; that in the temple like a glorious spirit, this 
in the house or field, like some prophet or traveller ; 
that to a priest, this to a woman. All good men have 
I not equal measures of faith ; the bodies of men have not 
more differences of stature, than their graces. Creduli- 

* Illustrations may be found in Saurin, “ Discours Historiques, Cri¬ 
tiques, Theologiques, et Moraux, sur les Evenemens les plus memorablcjs 
du Vieux et du Nouveau Testament.” Tom. iv. p. 14—20, 8vo. 

T2 



210 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


ty to men is faulty and dangerous, but, in the matters of 
God, is the greatest virtue of a Christian. Happy are 
they that have not seen, yet believed. True faith takes 
all for granted, yea, for performed, which is once pro¬ 
mised. 

“ He that before sent his angel unasked, will much 
more send him again upon entreaty ; those heavenly 
messengers are ready, both to obey their Maker, and to 
relieve his children. Never any man prayed for direc¬ 
tion in his duties to God and was repulsed ; rather will 
God send an angel from heaven to instruct us, than our 
good desires shall be frustrated.” 

Upon his reapi5earance, the angel did not present him¬ 
self to Manoah, though he came in answer to his suppli¬ 
cations ; but to his wife as she sat alone in the field. She 
immediately hastened to her husband, who gladly returned 
with her to the spot; and hearing from her own lips, 
lhat it was the same remarkable visiter she had so re¬ 
cently seen, he expressed his fiiith in the promise, and 
his solicitude for the child. His wife concurred in every 
desire; and his inquiry was, in fact, equally her own. 

How shall we order the child, and how shall we do 
unto him ?” The angel repeated his former injunctions, 
which this pious female was ready to observe. 

Good people commence their plans, and offer their 
prayers, in behalf of children, even before their birth ; 
feeling the weight of that responsibility which the pa- 
'j’ental relationship incurs, and knowing well the early 
trials and dangers that await their little ones. The tears 
and concerns that attend the period of parental anticipa¬ 
tion, mingle with the transports which accompany their 
nativity, and stimulate their future exertions to train 
them up in the ways of religion. How gladly do they 
make considerable sacrifices of time and property to this 
object; •and how richly are the maternal pangs repaid, 
when true wisdom guides the steps of their youthful 
charge into paths of pleasantness and peace ! The mer¬ 
cies of Providence are ill requited, when the parents 


manoah’s wife. 


211 


never inquire, like Manoah and his wife, “ How shall we 
order the child ?” If incapable of properly cultivating 
the infant mind themselves, either on account of their 
own ignorance, from their too abundant occupation, or 
from an unprincipled disregard to the best interests of 
the little immortals intrusted to their care ; it is a happi¬ 
ness for the present generation, that so many benevolent 
institutions exist, which invite the poor and the neglected 
to their parental guidance. But let parents, and espe¬ 
cially Christian parents, consider it one of their first du¬ 
ties, one of their noblest privileges, to implant the good 
seed of knowledge in their hearts, which in its future de- 
velopements, may not only expand their faculties and dig¬ 
nify their characters, but render them the ornaments of 
society, the comfort of their parents, the guides and ex¬ 
amples of posterity, and the objects of divine approbation. 

Hitherto these two favoured individuals had no idea of 
the being they were addressing, but still supposing him 
to be an ordinary prophet, Manoah, in the true spirit of 
eastern hospitality, requested permission to dress a kid 
for his refreshment. He was, besides, animated with a 
sense of gratitude for the joyful news he communicated. 
The angel declined his offer, assuring him, though he 
remained with him a little while, he should not take any 
food ; but that if he designed to offer a burnt-offering, 
he ought to be careful not to imitate the prevailing enor¬ 
mity of sacrificing to strange gods, but to worship God. 

Manoah now became anxious to know the stranger’s 
name, that he might have an opportunity of hereafter ex¬ 
pressing his gratitude and affection, by informing him of 
the birth of his predicted offspring, and making suitable 
acknowledgments for his kindness. This request was 
refused ; and he was assured it was “ a secret,” and must 
remain concealed. This was a sufficient reply to Manoah 
and his wife, who did not presume, with an impertinent 
eagerness, to press the question. Many secret things 
belong to God; and it is the province of true piety to 
repress curiosity, where it is not authorized, or would be 



212 


FBMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


useless. All impatience, we should often take wing, and 
pursue our adventurous flight through all the regions of 
possible knowledge, and beyond the limits of Scriptural 
revelation ; but, “ Why askest thou ?”—“ What is that 
to thee ?”—Truth is disclosed in all its essentials—re¬ 
gard thy duty, and listen to thy Saviour—“ follow me.” 

Many expositors have concurred in rendering the 
words of the angel thus, “ Why askest thou after my 
name, seeing it is Wonderful ?” and for an explanation 
of the epithet, they refer to the sublime description of 
Isaiah, “ His name shall be called Wonderful, Coun¬ 
sellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the 
Prince of Peace.”* If this be correct, the ministering 
spirit, concealing his glory in the form of a man, was no 
other than the Angel of the covenant, the Wisdoni, the 
Word, and the Son of God. If, after his resurrection 
from the dead, and immediately previous to his reascen¬ 
sion to the glories of eternity, when invested with the 
character of the Conquerer of death and hell, he ap¬ 
peared to two of his disciples on the way to Emmaus 
whom he had so recently left, without their suspecting 
who it was, “ for their eyes were holden, that they"should 
not know him ?”t it cannot be deemed an improbable 
circumstance in itself, that on this occasion he should 
have been divested of all his splendid peculiarities, to 
fulfil so interesting a mission to these worthy Danites, 
to authorize so unusual a sacrifice, and to accomplish so 
glorious a mode of disappearance. 

Manoah now proceeded to present an offering to the 
Lord, presenting, as was customary, a meat*offering with 
his burnt-offering.J He was not indeed a priest, nor 
was this the place ; but it was not requisite to go to the 
tabernacle in Shiloh, when his divine visiter had already 
dispensed them from the circumstantials, by sanctioning 
the sacrifice here. “ And it came to pass, when the 
flame went up towards heaven from off the altar, that the 
angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar; 

^ Isa. ix. 6. j Luke xxiv. 16. | Nunib. xv. 3, 4. 


manoah’s wife. 


213 


and Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their 
faces to the ground.” This was, at once, a proof of the 
full acceptance of their sacrifice ; and irresistibly con¬ 
vinced them, they had been conversing with a divine 
personage. “ And Manoah said unto his wife. We shall 
surely die, because we have seen God. But his wife 
said unto him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, 
HE would not have RECEIVED A PURNT-OFFERING AND A 
MEAT-OFFERING AT OUR HANDS ; NEITHER WOULD HE HAVE 
SHOWED US ALL THESE THINGS, NOR WOULD, AS AT THIS 
TIME, HAVE TOLD US SUCH THINGS AS THESE.”* 

Considering all the circumstances, this was very remark¬ 
able language, and merits attention ; not only as illustra¬ 
tive of the character of this excellent woman, but as fur¬ 
nishing a principle of sound and legitimate reasoning in 
the concerns of religion. 

At first, being overawed by the majestic manifestation, 
both these pious people fell prostrate in the dust. A 
reverential awe pervaded their bosoms, at a sight so 
wonderful and so unexpected. The sentiments they felt 
were, doubtless, allied to those which dictated the ex¬ 
clamation of Jacob, “ How dreadful is this place! this is 
none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of 
heaven :” or the humble tone of Isaiah, “ Wo is me, for 
I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I 
dwell among a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes 
have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.” But if the di¬ 
vine appearance in mercy proved so terrific and ofer- 
whelming to pious persons in those extraordinary limes ; 
how tremendous will the second appearance of Christ in 
judgment be to his enemies, with the glory of his Father, 
and all the holy angels! If the splendour of his grace 
confound a mortal eye; what must be the lightning of 
his indignation, how intolerable the flaming fire of his 
displeasure! 

On this occasion, Manoah appears the weaker believer. 
He thought of nothing but death; he expresses his con- 

* Judg. xiii. 22, 23. 


214 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

fidence of perishing, and assigns a reason, which, how¬ 
ever weak, is sufficiently accounted for by the extreme 
terror of his mind, and the universal prejudice of that 
age: “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.” 
Even good men are sometimes tempted to listen to the 
suggestions of nature, rather than to the assurances of 
revelation ' and to dread as an evil, what in their better 
^moments is anticipated as a good. If death were the 
extinction of being, it might excite alarm; but, if it be 
only the means of our purification, and the preparatory 
process to fit the spiritual character for the felicities of 
a higher existence, it should, and often does, awaken 
pleasure. If, even while the shroud is worn by the 
body, the spirit is clothed with the garments of salvation, 
and that shroud will soon be exchanged for the white- 
robe of purity and heaven; what is there to prevent our 
adopting the words of an apostle, “ I have a desire to 
depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better ?” 
If the apprehensions of Manoah had been really well 
founded, and himself and his beloved partner had yielded 
up their spirits on that memorable spot; who can say it 
would have proved an undesirable exchange ? As the 
servants of the living God, they were prepared for all 
events, and for either world. Their union could never 
have been dissolved, and the sphere of their spiritual 
discoveries would have been amply enlarged. To see 
God is the antidote, and not the occasion, of death ; the 
hope, and not the terror, of the believer. 

It is not difficult, however, to ascertain the reason why 
this prejudice so early and so extensively influenced the 
pious in primitive times. It arose from a consciousness 
of guilt, and a dread of merited punishment. As a sin¬ 
ner, man must necessarily tremble at the thought of his 
approaching God, or at the communication of any mes¬ 
sage from his throne : when God opens his mouth, he 
naturally fears the sentence ; when tidings arrive from 
the invisible world, he dreads their purport, and con¬ 
science suggests that even the most favourable mani'* 


manoah’s wife. 


215 


festations may be blended with tokens of displeasure. 
Every approach of the Deity is liable to excite confusion 
to a guilty world; and a sense of demerit may lead us 
not only to expect a warrant for execution when a re¬ 
prieve is coming; but at first, like Manoah, to mistake 
and misinterpret the sign. 

The wife of this good man entertained no such fears. 
With a faith which penetrated the divine intentions, at 
least in part, and which elevated her not only above the 
prejudices of the age, but gave her a decided superiority 
over her trembling partner, she suggested a far different 
conclusion, and intimated the reason on which it was 
founded. Her conclusions, the very opposite to his—so 
different are the degrees of grace in different characters— 
were deduced from three considerations. Each of these, 
in her view, was a dicisive evidence against his sugges¬ 
tion, and a consoling reflection in this extraordinary and 
ambiguous moment. 

The first was, the acceptance of their sacrifices. “ If,” 
said she, “ the Lord be pleased to kill us, he would not 
have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our 
hands.” The law w'hich prescribed the presentation of 
sacrifices, expressly represented them as “ a sweet savour 
unto the Lord which implied not only an approbation 
of the oflering, which was indeed of divine appointment, 
and could not therefore be rejected, but complacency in 
the worshipper. The person could not be disowned, * 
while‘the presentation was acknowledged. If this senti¬ 
ment needed any corroboration, the history of Cain and 
> Abel would have furnished it. The acceptance and re¬ 
jection of each was evinced by the divine treatment of 
i their respective offerings. “ The Lord had respect unto 
I Abel,’and to his offering; but unto Cain, and to his offer¬ 
ing, he had not respect.”! When God entered into a 
j solemn cavenant wit^ Abram, “ a smoking furnace and 
i a burning lamp” passed between the divided pieces of 
) the sacrifice, and consumed them.”J At the dedication 
* Numb. XV. 3, 7, 10,13. f Gen. iv. 4, 5. f Gen. xv. 17 


216 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


of the tabernacle, when “ the glory of the Lord appeared 
unto all the people, there came a lire out from before the 
Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt-offering and 
the fat; which when all the people saw, they shouted 
and fell on their faces.”* The dedication of the temple 
was signalized by a similar manifestation. “ Now, when 
Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down 
from heaven, and consumed the burnt-offering, and the 
sacrifices ; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.”! 
The same principle is fully recognized by David, in the 
following supplications : “ The Lord hear thee in the 
day of trouble, the name of the God of Jacob defend 
thee. Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen 
thee out of Zion. Remember all thy burnt-offerings, 
and accept thy burnt-sacrifice.”| The argument, there¬ 
fore, of Manoah’s wife was pious, legitimate, and conclu¬ 
sive : “ if we were to be destroyed, our services could 
not be approved.” 

The people of God too frequently resemble Manoah ; 
but their doubts and fears would soon subside, could they 
be persuaded to adopt the reasoning of his wife. Fast 
experience is a solid basis for future expectations. A 
succession of spiritual mercies is a pledge of kind inten¬ 
tion, and of continued favour. In periods of despond¬ 
ency, recur to days of religious prosperity and happi¬ 
ness, wJien the candle of the Lord shone upon you, 
and spiritual enjoyments were dispensed in the use of 
means. Have you not good ev dence, that your sacrifices 
have been received—your prayers heard, your dedication 
to God accepted ? Have the spirit and efiicacy of his pro¬ 
mise evaporated in the lapse of time, “ I will never leave 
you, nor forsake you ?” or have you no reason to say with 
holy anticipation. “ Surely goodness and mercy shall fol¬ 
low me all the days of my life, and 1 will dwell in the 
house of the Lord for ever?” % 

Feeble, imperfect, and disproportionate to our obliga¬ 
tions, as all our offerings must be, they are acceptable 
* Lev. ix. 23, 24. f 2 Chron. vii. 1. t Ps. xx. 1—3. 


manoah’s wife. 


10 God by Jesus Christ. He has presented a sacrifice, 
“ once for all,” upon the cross, to which this subject na¬ 
turally directs our attention, which constitutes the foun¬ 
dation of human hope, and secures a welcome reception, 
and gives an available power to all the future offerings 
of faith. The figurative nature of the ancient dispensa¬ 
tions renders it not improbable, that these humble Israel¬ 
ites perceived, in the memorable transactions they wit¬ 
nessed, some typical representation of the work of re¬ 
demption, some glimpses of the great atonement, and of 
the principle upon which what they offered was accepted. 
This event was not intended merely to astonish or over¬ 
awe, but to instruct; and the wife of Manoah presents a 
noble example of that profound attention, which it be¬ 
comes us to pay to all the revelations of Heaven. If, 
in particular, the “ angels desire to look into” the mys¬ 
teries of redeeming love, and consider the sabbath of 
eternity well employed in this research ; mortals surely, 
who are more nearly interested, cannot devote the less 
sacred hours of time to a more important inquiry. Nor 
should they be satisfied with superficial, or indeed with 
any attainments in spiritual wisdom, which is so unfathom¬ 
able in its depths, and illimitable in its extent. 

The second consideration, which led to the inference 
in their own favour drawn by Manoah's wife, was the 
wonders which the angel had shown them. These were of 
a nature, in her belief, to justify her conclusion, that God 
did by no means purpose their ruin, but the reverse. It 
appears from the general expression, that “ the angel did 
wondrously,” jn connexion with the mention of “ all 
these things,” that some other manifestations, probably 
of a hieroglyphic or typical nature, were given antece¬ 
dently, or as an immediate preparation to his miraculous 
ascent in the flame of the altar. This at least is certain, 
making a general application of the statement, that we 
are not only authorized to conclude from the priviliges we 
enjoy, but from the spiritual discoveries we have made, 
that God is our Father and our Friend. He would not 
VoL. I. U 



218 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

have poiuted out our danger, and exhibited our remed)', if 
he had designed our ruin. Were we appointed to perish 
in our guilt, “ the Physician of souls” would never have 
been commissioned to visit us. To be shown, by Scriptural 
statement, by ministerial instruction, and by providential 
guidance, the way to heaven, is no indication of an appoint¬ 
ment to destruction. Have you not discovered the evil of 
sin, the value of the soul, and the excellency of Christ? 
Have you not felt the sorrows of repentance, and the joys 
of faith ? Have you not touched the outstretched sceptre, 
submitted to the chastising rod, and gloried in the cross ? 
God does not impart a fixed aversion to all iniquity, an in¬ 
tense desire after holiness, habitual delight in his word, 
and desire after his presence and glory ; he does not im¬ 
press a sense of the infinite excellence of the Saviour, and 
a readiness to sacrifice every thing to his will, and for his 
sake, excepting to holy souls, which are “ born, not after 
the flesh, but after the Spirit.” 

The wife of Manoah adverted to a third source of 
consolation, at the period of this miraculous disappear¬ 
ance. She refers to what they were told. The assuran¬ 
ces they had received of the birth of a son, rendered it 
impossible they should die. She had received very 
minute directions, both respecting her offspring and her¬ 
self, who was to be consecrated as a Nazarite, and to 
rise up as the deliverer of his country from the yoke of 
Philistia. Possibly, during the preparation of the sacri¬ 
fice, the inquisitive spirit of this thoughtful woman in¬ 
duced her to seek a conversation, which the celestial 
messenger was not unwilling to encourage, and during 
which they might have received some further instructions. 
Our fears are apt to betray us into absurdities, and con¬ 
fuse the memory ; so that good men, like Manoah, speak 
or act inconsistently w ith themselves, and their own more 
deliberate convictions. Happy they who are blessed 
with an intelligent and pious companion, whose kind sug¬ 
gestions may detect their errors, refresh their recollec¬ 
tions, quell their fears, and comfort their desponding 


MAiVOAh’s wile. 


219 


hours! Thus “ two are better than one, because they 
have a good reward for their labour. For, if they fail, 
the one will lift up his fellow : but wo to him that is 
alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help 
him.”* 

Obvious but important considerations are deducible 
from this narrative, which seem capable of an application 
to the general concerns of life, as well as to the inquiries 

religion. 

1. \Ve oUonifj avoid precipitancy of judgment. The 
wife of Manoah, in ibla view, appears in advantageous 
contrast to her hasty husband. GK.:» did not suffer her¬ 
self to be hurried into a discouraging inference, without 
reviewing the circumstances of the case, and allowing 
time for reflection. In the common affairs of life, an in¬ 
considerate eagerness, either to escape from danger or 
to possess good, is often itself productive of the disap¬ 
pointment it dreads ; while a proper deliberation pre¬ 
pares the mind either for failure or success ; and, in 
the pursuit of moral and religious inquiries, the same 
precipitancy is calculated to plunge into error, which, if 
it do not always endanger our salvation, may disturb our 
peace. Jesus Christ has expressly exhorted us to close 
and deliberate investigation, intimating that our labour 
will be repaid by discovery ; for “ searching the Scrip¬ 
tures,” and acquiring a knowledge of him respecting 
whom they ‘‘ testify,” and whom to know is life eter¬ 
nal," are inseparably connected. On another occasion, 
when describing the true hearer of his word, he suggests 
a comparison equally and beautifully illustrative of the 
necessity of a diligent use of the means of instruction, 
and that serious, profound, and careful inquiry, which is 
calculated to prevent an implicit submission to the opin¬ 
ion of others, or taking our rejigion upon trust. “ Who¬ 
soever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doetli 
them, 1 will show you to whom he is like. He is like a 
man which built a house, and digged deep, and laid the 

Erdos, iv. 9, 10. 


220 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


foundation on a rock; and when the. flood arose, the 
stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not 
shake it, for it was founded upon a rock.”* v. 

2. It is wise, and may be useful, on all proper occasions, 
to avow our convictions. Selfishness and timidity may con¬ 
cur to suggest a difierent proceeding: but religion requires 
that vve act upon principles superior to those of worldly 
policy. Manoah had every reason to be grateful to his 
wife, for the distinct and prompt avowal of her senti¬ 
ments ; which, though contradictory to his, wer^ ^"^^iipted 
to rouse him from his despondency stupor. She was, 
no doubt, ready to symp^t^^^^G with his distress ; but duty 
to God, attachment to her husband, a consciousness of 
knowing the truth, and even a proper respect to herself, 
prompted a statement of her disagreement with his opin¬ 
ions. When religion claims our services, we must not 
withhold the offering of our lips or the labour of our 
hands, through fear of danger or hope of gain. When 
truth demands that we should speak, or Providence that 
we should act, it would be criminal—it would be dis¬ 
graceful, to continue silent or inactive. 

To generalize and apply these remarks to the ciretlfii- 
stances in which Christianity has placed us—it is required 
not only to believe in Christ, but explicitly to avow our 
sentiments of attachment to his Gospel by a public pro¬ 
fession, whether we meet with the concurrence, or suffer 
the opposition, of our dearest fripnds. Timidity is natu¬ 
ral to the female mind ; but religion requires even the 
youngest and the weakest of the sex, not to suffer even 
natural delicacy to degenerate, by excessive indulgence, 
into criminal shame. It does more, it enables women to 
become heroes and martyrs! Inflamed with the love it 
inspires, they have learned to see no lions, to fear no 
dangers, to feel no pains in the path of duty ; not only 
evincing patience, but expressing joy. 

Jesus Christ was “ not ashamed to call us hrethreriy^ 
to assume our nature, to fill our fiumble station, to suffer 

* Luke vi. 47,48. 


manoah’s wife. 


221 


our sorrows, or to die for us an ignominious death ; he 
is not ashamed to own his connexion with us now he is in 
the highest heavens, or to be engaged in preparing a 
mansion, in his Father’s house, for our final reception. 
Shall we be ashamed of him, or of his cause ? Shall we 
tremble to avow our attachment, if we feel it ? This 
would expose us to the censure of our own consciences, 
to the reproach of a dishonourable, hesitating, indecisive 
conduct; and, above all, to the Saviour’s final maledic¬ 
tion, as the Judge of mankind. It is the design of Christ 
to establish an interest in the world ; and this is to be 
maintained, not by fear, but by firmness : not by tempo¬ 
ral compliances, but by holy resistance ; not by sloth, in¬ 
activity, and shrinking into a corner, but by “ putting on 
the whole armour of God.” Not to be for Christ is to 
he against him—neutrality is enmity—a refusal to enlist 
under his banners is disloyalty, rebellion, and treason! 

o. The providence of God does never really^ though it 
may apparently and to human apprehension, contradict 
his word or discredit his character. The present mani¬ 
festation of the angel in flame and terror, did not subvert 
the confidence which the wife of Manoah felt in his past 
declarations, nor excite despondency respecting future 
events. The fears of her husband did not shake her 
faith in the promises of God, nor did the incomprehensi¬ 
ble nature of the mystery blind her perceptions of the 
concealed mercy. We are very inadequate judges of 
the divine conduct. It is neither possible, nor proper, 
that we should know the mighty plan of his operations ; 
and it can never be a sufficient reason, even under the 
most disastrous circumstances, for questioning the good¬ 
ness or wisdom of his dispensations, that we cannot com¬ 
prehend them. The designs of God are very imperfectly 
unravelled in the present world. We can see but to a 
short distance, nor is it necessary that we should.- Some 
light from the sacred page beams across the path of life ; 
but if we cannot at present attain all we may wish to 

know, let ns be contented to wait for the manifestations 

U- 2 


222 


JfEHALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


of eternity. In the mean time we may rest assured, 
that whatever is thought contradictory in the dispensa¬ 
tions of Providence to the written word, is but seemingly 
so. It is so merely because we cannot now see the con¬ 
necting links, the unbroken chain of events, which, when 
the clouds that obscure this earthly atmosphere shall 
be finally dispersed, will become distinctly and for ever 
visible. 


( 


Heijwwiir. 


CHAPTER X.—SECTION I. 


Religion a source of peace—account of Elkanah and his two wives—Pe- 
ninnah reproaches Hannah—sin of despising others for their infirmities—■ 
the family at Shiloh—Elkanah endeavours to console his wife—her con¬ 
duct and prayer—Eli’s unjust imputation—Hannah’s defence, and her ac¬ 
cuser’s retractation—return from Shiloh—birth of Samuel—his weaning. 

W HERE there is says an excellent com¬ 

mentator, “ His pity but there should be unity ,There 
is, however, too frequent occasion to deplore the dis- 
sejitions of families, whose religious profession induces 
us to expect the prevalence of peace and harmony. 
Nevertheless, these inconsistencies are so far from 
being justly chargeable upon religion, that they furnish, 
the most decisive evidence of its value. It is in conse¬ 
quence of a departure from its genuine spirit, and a 
compliance with the suggestion of evil principles and 
passions, that individuals are rendered miserable and fa¬ 
milies distracted. The renewal of that “ right spirit” 
which it inculcates,^ is the direct means of restoring per¬ 
sonal comfort and domestic tranquillity. 

The Psalmist represents “ the law of the Lord” as 
perfect -y* it is the only solid basis of human felicity ; 
and every hope that is differently founded, must prove 
—inevitably prove a shadowy superstructure. A devia!* 
tion from the order and appointments of Heaven is a 
proportionate departure from happiness; for this order 
and these appointments do not result from caprice, but a 
perfect combination of goodness and wisdom. The di¬ 
vine system of legislation is formed with a merciful re¬ 
gard to our best interests, and an entire knowledge 
of our nature. Its arrangements are not arbitra.ry. 


* Psal. xix. 7. 


^24 FEMALfe SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHT. 

but kind ; and obedience is no less essential to our 
real welfare, both present and eternal, than it is ex¬ 
pressive of a just regard to our obligations. In op¬ 
posing the requirements of God, man is an enemy to 
himself; his resistance is not only culpable but ru¬ 
inous. 

These observations are fully exemplified in the histo¬ 
ry of Hannah, and the family of which she was the fe¬ 
male head. Her husband, whose name was Elkanah, 
resided at a place in the tribe of Ephraim, called Rama- 
thaim-zophim. He is mentioned as having descended 
from Zuph an Ephrathite, or inhabitant of Bethlehem- 
Judah, which is Ephratah, probably with the view of 
showing his connexion with David. As persons have 
sometimes conferred distinction upon places, so places 
have occasionally dignified persons. Who would not 
have thought it an honour to be born at Bethlehem, 
whence the light of the world first proceeded, and where 
such wonderful events were to be afterward transact¬ 
ed ? And yet it is but an adventitious honour, which 
will soon fade, if it be not sustained by personal charac¬ 
ter and real excellence. 

Elkanah had two wives ; Hannah, the subject of this 
history, and Penirinah. Here we trace the origin of the 
infelicity of this religious household. It is strange that 
the experience of past ages, the incongruity of such a 
practice in itself, and the unauthorized nature of such a 
proceeding, should not have prevented him from form¬ 
ing two matrimonial connexions at the same time. If po¬ 
lygamy were not expressly interdicted by a law, but ra¬ 
ther tolerated in an age of imperfect revelation, like the 
plan of divorce to which our Saviour alludes, for “ the 
hardness of their heartsit had plainly no foundation 
in reason, no sanction from Heaven ; and not only no 
good consequences attached to it, but it was commonly 
attended with calamitous results.. Every recorded in¬ 
stance of it proves its extreme inexpediency. It seldom 
failed to involve the comfort of all parties, and must be 


Hannah. 


226 


regarded as a proof of weakness, if not absolutely of a 
criminal indulgence of passion, even when adopted un¬ 
der the most plausible pretences. If the Creator had at 
at first perceived that a plurality of wives was condu¬ 
cive to human felicity, be would have bestowed more 
than one upon man in his paradisiacal state. Infinite 
wisdom must have known what was really best; and the 
inspii'^'i ntiiraiive shows that infinite goodness pursued 
every conceivable method of completing the enjoyment 
of him who was placed, both in point of capacity and au¬ 
thority, at the summit of creation. 

There is a marked difference between the two wo¬ 
men whom Elkanah had espoused. In most cases of con¬ 
tention, considerable blame attaches to all the parties 
concerned. We hear of provocations and insults on the 
one hand, of recriminations and resentments on the 
other. Whoever originates the dispute, an irreconcile- 
able spirit in both usually perpetuates it. Hannah, re¬ 
proached as she was by Peninnah for her barrenness, 
does not seem to have returned railing for railing. The 
haughty behaviour, indeed, of her rival, made her the 
Inore deeply sensible of her afflictiofi, and freited her 
almost into despondency. Day after day, she was ri¬ 
diculed for what implied no blame, and admitted of no 
remedy. With how’ much greater reason might she 
have retorted upon Peninnah her malignant temper and 
her provoking tongue ! ^ hat was her natural infirmity, 
in comparison with the slanderer’s moral defilement! 
How uni^plarpd the censurcs of the one ! how p.dmirable 
the patience of the other! 

This disagieement presents a fair occasion of re¬ 
marking upon a practice too much tolerated in society, 
for which young persons especially cannot be too strong¬ 
ly reprehended. It is the cruel conduct of despising 
others for their natural imperfections, turning their 
blameless deformities into ridicule, and speaking ill of 
them for defects which ought rather to excite the deep- 
e 3 t commiseration. Perhaps the persoijs who suffer this 


226 


FEMALE SCfllPTURfc BIOGRAPHY. 


unmerited contempt, possess qualities of a mental and 
moral description, which ought to conciliate the esteem 
and excite the imitation of the fair and graceful slander¬ 
er. Perhaps they have a cultivated mind and a pious 
spirit, while she has nothing hut a prptty countenance or 
an attractive form. But how ill is wisdom compensated by 
beauty, and how disgraceful is it to despise the work of 
God’s hands! If the object of offensive remarK siivoUi 
happen to be endowed with neither wisdom nor symme¬ 
try, is it becoming of you, my reader, to institute an ar¬ 
bitrary standard of gracefulness, and despise every one 
who has not attained it ? Is it for you to aggravate as 
a crime, what reason teaches is, at worst, a misfortune ? 
Is it for you to calumniate those who have given you no 
personal offence; who are, notwithstanding their disad¬ 
vantages, good members of society; and if in some re¬ 
spects defective, may not be vicious ? But if the latter 
were the case, if they exhibited a combination of exte¬ 
rior deformity and interior depravity, they would not 
then be the proper objects of ridicule. The former pecu¬ 
liarity would still merit pity, and indeed forbid obser¬ 
vance ; the latter would require more serious treat¬ 
ment. 

In many instances, perhaps in the majority, young 
persons are guilty of this misconduct through inadver¬ 
tency. They have been stimulated to it by others, or 
they have never been impressed with a sense of its im¬ 
propriety. It has been the result of thoughtlessness, ra¬ 
ther than of malignity. It was not their <3ooign to Injure, 
but to seek amusement. Let parents and tutors, there¬ 
fore, explain the evil of such practices; let such as 
read these pages meditate upon its enormity, and be so¬ 
licitous of cultivating those benign and benevolent feel¬ 
ings which peculiarly adorn their early age, and are 
inculcated by the religion and the example of Christ. 

To return to the family of Elkanah. This worthy 
man did not allow domestic dissentions to interrupt his 
religious duties. He went up to the worship of the 


HANNAH. 


227 


Lord in Shiloh at the yearly festivals, according to the 
appointments of the law. “ Unto the place which the 
Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put 
his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, 
and thither thou shalt come ; and thither ye shall bring 
your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes 
and heave-offerings of your hand, and your vows and 
your free-will-offerings, and the firstlings of your herds 
and of your flocks. And there ye shall eat before the 
Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put 
your hand unto, you and your households, wherein the 
Lord thy God hath blessed thee.”"*^ 

In the services of religion, it becomes us to ascend 
above all temporal considerations, and regard exclusively 
the will of God. Elkanah, however, even at the solemn 
and public festival, unhappily gave a worthy or double 
portion to Hannah, which was the ancient mode of express¬ 
ing peculiar affection. This was likely to inflame, rather 
than to extinguish strife ; and though done, no doubt, with 
the kind intention of alleviating the sorrows of his best- 
beloved partner, was a sad display of weakness, and a 
miserable profaiiation of the worship of God. ^ Peninnah 
had children, Hannah the affections of her husband; the 
former persecutes, and the other weeps. Who would not 
have indulged the pleasing hope, that the worship of God, 
that cement of society, that healing remedy for the disor¬ 
ders of the moral world, would have quieted contention; 
and that the flames of animosity would not have mingled 
with the hallowed fires of sacrifice ! It was well meant 
in Elkanah to bring all his household together to the 
tabernacle in Shiloh— 

“ Religion should extinguish strife, 

And make a calm of human life.** 

If we cannot be reconciled at the altar, it is an indication 
of rooted antipathy, and will neutralize the effect of our 
entreaties for divine forgiveness. “ If I regard iniquity 
in my heart, the Lord,” said David, “ will not hear me.” 

* Deut. xii. 5—7. 


228 FEMALp SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

The salutary effect of Elkanah’s measure was prevented 
by the continuance of discord. Year after year this mis¬ 
chievous spirit prevailed. Elkanah was unable to conci¬ 
liate Peninnah, or to soothe Hannah. The good man was 
rendered wretched, both by the temper of the one and the 
tears of the other: the latter, however, was the most in¬ 
tolerable. “ Hannah,” said he, “ why weepest thou ? 
why eatest thou not ? and why is thy heart grieved ? Am 
not I better to thee than ten sons?” 

There is something soothing and gentle in this remon¬ 
strance, which bespeaks the affection of Elkanah, and ex¬ 
hibits his pacific character in an advantageous light. He 
does not directly interpose to settle the point of domestic 
difference by the stern dictation of authority, but with a 
kind hand endeavours to wipe away the falling tears of 
his disconsolate wife. Nothing is more difficult than pro¬ 
perly to administer reproof, e:^cept it be properly to re¬ 
ceive it. Elkanah seems, on this occasion, to have mana¬ 
ged it with extreme delicacy, and with happy success. He 
kindly insinuated, that she ought to feel consolation in her 
husband’s regard ; and that a becoming submission to Pro¬ 
vidence is at all times our duty. She might have suffered 
not only the affliction which she so deeply deplored, but 
the still greater distress of her partner’s aversion. If he 
had been alienated, or even if his regard had been only 
diminished, there would have existed a more plausible 
pretence for incessant grief; but although Peninnah was 
blest with children, Hannah was best beloved. Would 
the latter have been willing to exchange advantages ? 
would she have descended from a pre-eminence so justly 
valued, for the sake of a family ? Doubtless it was her 
wish to unite these comforts ; to retain the love of El¬ 
kanah, and to rival the children of Peninnah. But it is 
our duty, and would prove eminently conducive to our 
happiness, to improve the blessings we enjoy, rather than 
to cherish undue solicitude for what Providence does not 
see fit to confer. 


Hannah. 


^29 


rhere does, by no means, exist that inequality in the 
distribution of divine favours, which our impatience 
tempts us to imagine. One thing is set over against ano¬ 
ther ; comforts are associated with crosses : and if we were 
in a situation, or possessed a capacity, to estimate with 
exactness the proportion of good and evil in the individual 
condition of mankind, it is more than probable we should 
find the balances by which these proportions are deter¬ 
mined most accurately poised. We may safely, and ought 
unliesitatingly, to trust the hands in which they are 
placed, and the power that regulates their distribution. 

If the language of Elkanah may be considered as honour¬ 
able to his general spirit, the silent obedience of Hannah 
was no less illustrative of her extraordinary excellence. 
How many tempers would have been exasperated by such 
an appeal; and instead of drying up the tears of grief, and 
proceeding to partake food, would have instantly retorted 
both upon the intercessor and the rival! She might have 
demanded why her husband, instead of asking her to con¬ 
ceal her sorrows, did not rather reprove the provoking 
conduct of Peninnah, and silence her exasperating tongue ? 
Availing herself of the decided preference shown her, she 
might have aimed at making her husband a party in the 
dispute ; and by bis means, have triumphed over her ad¬ 
versary. But Hannah was influenced by far different 
sentiments. To her husband’s remonstrances she appears 
to have returned no answer ; nor was it a sullen silence ; 
for she took food, interrupted no longer the festivities of 
the occasion, but painful as the struggle must have 
been, heroically concealed her own feelings till the ter¬ 
mination of the public solemnities. 

“ After they had eaten in Sihloh, and after they had 
drunk,” Hannah continued in “ bitterness of soul,” and 
rose up to withdraw. But whither did ^he go ? Whi¬ 
ther, under circumstances like these, was it natural for 
her to fly ? Perhaps into solitude to bemoan her sad sir 
I tuation, to pour out her unrestrained tears, to anathema- 
I tize her insulting rival, to plot revenge, to curse the day of 
1 VoL. I. w 


230 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


her birth. The stream of grief and complaint might be 
expected to flow, in the secret hour, with accelerated 
force and rapidity, proportioned to the restraint which 
publicity had imposed. She did not, however, yield 
to this influence, or retire for such a purpose. Per¬ 
haps she withdrew to seek the counsel of a friend, orsolicit 
the prompt interference of others who pitied her sufferings, 
to check Peninnah, or to stimulate Elkanah to stronger 
measures. Such a proceeding was not unlikely ; it was 
not however the one she adopted. Perhaps then, it 
may be supposed she went home to wait for some 
favourable opportunity of urging her husband to discard 
Peninnah, and of exasperating his prejudices against her. 
it was indeed natural for her to pursue either or of all 
these courses ; but she chose a different one. The pious 
mourner has another and a better resource. If she look 
around her for comfort in vain, she can look above. She 
may be pressed on every side—difficulties and distresses 
accumulating in every direction—foes behind, and seas of 
trouble before—but the opening into heaven is free ; the 
ear of mercy is not shut; the way of access to God never 
can be closed! “ And she vowed a vow, and said, O 

Lord of Hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction 
of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine 
handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man-child, 
then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, 
and there shall no razor come upon his head.” 

This solemn address to heaven exemplifies some of 
the essential qualities of genuine prayer. It is marked 
by reverence andgod/y fear ; for she appeals to “ the Lord 
of hosts,” whose prerogative it is to marshal the celestial 
armies, and to regulate with undeviating skill and irresist¬ 
ible influence the affairs of this lower world : it displays 
profound/mmt/ify; for she repeats the simple and self- 
abasing term, “ thine handmaid it expresses submis¬ 
sion and dependence of spirit; for she refers with implicit 
obedience to the determinations of the divine will, as 
comprising whatever is best calculated to promote her 


HANNAH. 


231 


real interests, though without presumption she solicits 
Omnipotent interference to remove her affliction, if it 
should comport with the arrangements, and seem proper 
to the wisdom of God ; it manifests an importunity which 
will always operate with more or less intenseness in every 
genuine prayer. Her solemn vow, her judicious repeti¬ 
tions, her whole phraseology, evince this prevailing dis¬ 
position. She kindles with holy fervour, and seems to 
stretch forth her eager hand to take the blessing which 
she cannot persuade herself will be refused. She is fully 
aware that power and goodness combine in perfect 
proportions to influence the dispensations of the God 
whom she addresses, and pleads with success, because 
she pleads with fervour. 

Nor is Hannah the first or the last witness to the apos¬ 
tolic assurance : “ the effectual fervent prayer of the 
righteous availeth much.” It is not indeed insinu¬ 
ated, that importunity in soliciting favours is invariably 
successful. Unquestionably, many considerations of pro¬ 
priety, necessity, and adaptation, must be understood to 
enter into the account. I’he spirit of dictation must not 
blend with that of earnestness, nor must we deem our¬ 
selves qualified to determine the time, the manner, or 
the proportion of divine communications : but, so far as 
relates to the spirit of prayer, importunity is materially 
connected with success, and coldness with failure : the 
former advances, and the latter negatives our supplica¬ 
tions, even while we present them. There are cases of 
extraordinary ardour, which can be measured by no com¬ 
mon standard; moments of outgoing after God, seasons 
of inexpressible sensibility, when the mind possesses an 
invincible persuasion of success, which is at once the 
dictate of the Holy Spirit, and the certain indication 
of acceptance. Faith discerns the blessing with a dis¬ 
tinctness hitherto unknown, and love burns with a vigour 
hitherto unfelt. A certain persuasion pervades the soul 
that its entreaties cannot fail, that the contemplated good 
is its destined portion ; and amidst-the deepest, the meet 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPITk’. 




unusual impression of unworthiness, its assurance is sus¬ 
tained by a vivid remembrance of the promises, and an 
overwhelming consciousness of personal interest in them : 
all obstacles seem to remove, or to vanish at the first 
touch ; every thing yields before the pursuit of zeal, 
distance disappears, time dwindles into a mdment, and 
the mind at once enters upon the paradise of possession. 
In the very midst of discouragements, the supplicant be¬ 
comes a hero, and triumphs by a prevailingpo-wer ana¬ 
logous to that of a great conqueror, whose very conscious¬ 
ness of superiority wins an otherwise doubtful battle, 
and gives him a victory even by anticipation. Amidst 
the provocations of her rival, and the soothings of her 
husband, Hannah could only weep and fast; but, at the 
footstool of mercy, she wrestles like Jacob, and prevails 
like Israel. She rises above herself, no longer the de¬ 
spised and desponding mourner, but the accepted and 
the triumphant suppliant. Thus devotion not only sanc¬ 
tifies, but ennobles character. It awakens all the ener¬ 
gies of our nature, directs them to their proper object, 
and supplies an ample sphere for their exercise. It pro¬ 
duces extraordinary elevation, and creates a heaven in 
the exercise of faith, and in the sphere of duty. 

It cannot excite surprise, that a mere spectator, even 
though he be a pious spectator, should, on such occasions 
as these, mistake the outward indications of inward feel¬ 
ing. Objections will sometimes arise in persons of cooler 
temperament or more constitutional apathy to the enthu¬ 
siasm of younger and more ardent Christians, founded al¬ 
together in misapprehension, not like those of the world, 
in impious dislike. That the latter should miscall the 
holy ecstasies of religion enthusiastic and rhapsodical, we 
do not wonder ; since they cannot understand them by 
that medium through which alone they become compre¬ 
hensible, the medium of experience : nor need we feel 
much astonishment at the occasional mistakes of the for¬ 
mer, when it is recollected, that the external indications 
f>f the passions are often equivocal. 


HANNAH. 


233 


riiis was the case with Hannah. Eli. the venerable 
priest, was sitting upon a seat by a post of the temple; 
and either from a want of charity, or a defect of eyesight, 
he pronounced a precipitate judgment upon this good 
woman, whom he strangely imagined to have been in a 
state of intoxication. Hannah, it appears, spake in her 
heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not 
heard.” This excited the unjust suspicions of Eli, who 
immediately charged her with gross immorality. “ How 
long,” said he, “ wilt thou be drunken ? Put away thy 
wine from thee.” 

It may be admitted, as an extenuation of this rude at¬ 
tack, that the good priest was jealous for the honour of 
his God, whose temple he supposed was suffering pro¬ 
fanation by indecent conduct; and that, instead of turn¬ 
ing tale-bearer and whisperer, he openly expressed his 
sentiments to the party concerned, affording an oppor¬ 
tunity for acknowledgment or explanation. Still his 
precipitancy cannot be justified. It w'as his duty to have 
obtained better evidence, before he ventured upon such 
a crimination ; or, at least, to have been more ceremoni¬ 
ous and considerate. Reproof may be well merited ; 
but, in order that its end be answ^ered, it should be pro¬ 
perly administered. Gentleness and mercy should blend 
their benign influences with justice. We are ourselves 
liable to error, and have no right to assume the tone of 
severity, or the air of triumph,, when required to notice 
I blameabie conduct. If we should be mistaken, either in 
t the general fact, or in the circumstances, upon some of 
which we may have dwelt with unkind severity, the re¬ 
proof will not only affect us by a strong and most unwel¬ 
come reaction, but in many instances furnish the trans- 
gressor with means of defending himself in what was ac¬ 
tually wrong, and thus nullify our testimony, and harden 
his mind. 

Admirable, indeed, was the reply of Hannah. “ No, 
my lord,” said she, “ I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit, 

I 1 have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have 

W 2 




234 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


poured out my soul before the Lord. Count not thine 
handmaid for a daughter of Belial; for out of the abun¬ 
dance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.’’ 

Nothing could be a more complete vindication of her¬ 
self than this respectful, dispassionate, and dignified 
language. She merely disclaims the unjust imputation 
of her accuser, and explains the true cause of her emo¬ 
tions. If she had been resentful and clamorous, the sus¬ 
picion of Eli would rather have been confirmed than re¬ 
moved ; but her innocence shone forth as the noon-day, 
unclouded by irritability or violence. 

There is usually a marked difference between inno¬ 
cence and guilt, in the mode of treating accusations : the 
latter boisterous and impatient; the former gentle, calm, 
and moderate, comparatively careless of misrepresenta¬ 
tions, and often silent; the latter adopts any artifice to 
shun the light, the former affords every facility to inves¬ 
tigation. If a character be free from the stain of guilt, it 
will not shrink from those proceedings which tend to hold 
it up to the light, and which of course only exhibit its 
perfect transparency. 

Eli, perceiving his mistake, disdains to persist in it. 
Like a man of integrity and piety, he corrects himself at 
once, dismisses her with a blessing, and prays for her 
success. This was making the best possible reparation, 
and it was done with a promptness which evinced its sin¬ 
cerity. The good man was as ready to express his ap¬ 
probation, when convinced of Hannah’s innocence, as he 
had been to censure her conduct, when he imagined it to 
be culpable. 

In this transaction, we perceive him practising one of 
the most difficult of duties ; and if the wife of Elkanah be 
worthy of imitation for a respectful and modest defence 
against a false accusation, the pious priest of the Lord is 
no less so for retracting a hasty judgment, and instantly 
exchanging frowns for smiles, reproof for applause, 
cursing for blessing. In most cases, the offending party 
is the last to be reconciled ; and mistake is frequently ad- 


HANNAH. 


235 


iiei ec{ to with an obstinacy, and defended with a pertina¬ 
city, proportioned to the haste with which it has been 
adopted. Look inward. What is the present state of 
your minds respecting the errors you have committed, or 
the wrong steps you have taken, and of which you are 
deeply conscious ? Have you adopted any measures to 
give satisfaction to an injured party, or are you disposed 
to that concession which you know your past impropri¬ 
eties require ? To trifle with the character of another is 
cruel—to persist in misrepresentation is wicked. Can 
you expect pardon of God, while living in the indulgence 
of an unforgiving spirit towards your fellow-creatures ? 
Justice requires, and Christianity insists, upon repara¬ 
tion. O listen to their united voice ! Hasten to wipe off 
the stain which your carelessness, or your malignity, has- 
flung upon the white robe of innocence ! Hasten to dry 
up the tears which you have caused the sufferer to shed>; 
hasten to heal the wound you have foolishly, perhaps 
wickedly, inflicted. 

This duty, remember, is not superseded even by the 
ill conduct of the person you have made your foe. If, 
instead of submitting to your unkindness, or bearing your 
mistake with the meekness of Hannah, you have been 
loudly denounced—if you have been represented as a 
calumniator, and railing has been rendered for railing— 
if the injured person have even taken advantage of your 
error to reproach you in turn, and circulated a thousand 
misstatements to your disadvantage, you are still under 
the strongest obligations to correct and apologize for 
your original error. Never can you be justified in the 
eyes of impartial men; never can you stand upon the 
high ground of an unblemished reputation, and become in¬ 
vulnerable to attack; never can you obtain the divine 
approbation, tilj you have adopted this measure. Neither 
conscience, reason, nor religion, will admit that the as¬ 
persions of another justify your slanders. His persist- 
ance is no reason against your concession. 


236 FEMALE SCRIFTtRE BIOGRAFHV. 

Restored to tranquillity and happiness, Hannah with¬ 
drew from the temple, and “ her countenance was no 
more sad.” Her innocence was apparent to the priest, 
her petition heard in heaven. She went up weeping, 
she returned rejoicing. Devotion had pacified her 
troubled breast, and since “ committing her way to the 
Lord,” the tide had ebbed, the sky had cleared. She 
knew that her request would be granted, or, if denied, 
that she should see occasion ultimately to feel perfect ac¬ 
quiescence and satisfaction in the determinations of Fro- 
vidence. She, therefore, wiped away her tears, and 
dismissed her anxiety. Such is the relief afforded by 
humble prayer. How often has sorrow been transformed 
into joy by religious exercises! From the dark vale of 
life, where the winds blow and the rains descend, how 
often has the pious mourner ascended to that sacred 
mount of communion with God, the closet, or to the “ holy 
hill of Ziotif and dwelt in the sunshine of heaven ! Agi¬ 
tated no longer with conflicting elements, and mysterious 
events, the clouds have appeared far, far below ; while 
the omnipotent hand has been seen engaged in regulating 
their movements, directing their course, and preparing^ 
to disperse them in every direction. 

It is obvious that no combination of happy circumstan¬ 
ces, no human power, no earthly friendship, could have 
afibrded substantial consolation to Hannah, if she had not 
repaired to the mercy-seat. Already had her affectionate 
husband attempted, in vain, to sooth her grief. He had 
renewed his love, wiped off her tears, kindly remon¬ 
strated and reasoned with her.—Hannah! “am not I 
better to thee than ten sons ?” Ah! what avails it I 
Elkanah can sympathize, but he cannot relieve—he can 
reason, but he cannot remove the cause of her sorrows 
—he cannot turn the course of nature, or* renew the 
springs of existence—he cannot change weakness for 
strength, or convert barrenness into fertility : but he who 
has all resources in his hands, all elements and worlds at 
his disposal, can; and, at the voice of prayer, will accom- 


HANNAH. 


23T 


plish the holy desires of the mind. See, Christians, 
your best resource, your ultimate appeal, your distin¬ 
guished privilege ! “ God sitteth upon the throne of his 
holiness.”* 

Henceforward, the sacred narrative omits the name of 
Peninnah, and there is nothing in her history to induce a 
wish to penetrate the concealing veil. She was, in fact, 
originally introduced to notice for the purpose of illus¬ 
trating the more valuable qualities of Hannah, whose 
excellence continues to shine with undiminished lustre to 
the end of her days. It is indeed profitable, as a warn¬ 
ing, to contemplate specimens of moral deformity as well 
as examples of moral worth; but we naturally hasten 
from the offensive, to the pleasing and attractive forms of 
female character. Peninnah perishes unregretted from 
the page—Hannah continues to adorn it, and obtains an 
everlasting remembrance. 

On the day fixed for the return of this pious family, it 
is stated that they rose early in the morning, and worship¬ 
ped before the Lord. It is deplorable, that so many of 
our thoughtless race should live from day to day, and 
from year to year, in a state of perfect estrangement from 
the duties of devotion. Whirled about in the circle of 
dissipation, or busied with the cares of the world, they 
forget God their Maker ; and, though the constant recipi¬ 
ents of mercies which flow to them in uninterrupted suc¬ 
cession, they never acknowledge, they can scarcely be 
said to know the Giver. The most important transac¬ 
tions, schemes, and journeys, are undertaken without 
once committing themselves to the guidance or protec¬ 
tion of that Providence which is observant of their steps, 
and supplies them, notwithstanding their ingratitude. 
How pleasantly do they proceed, who, like the family of 
Elkanah, first solemnly present themselves before the 
Lord, and commence every business and every day with 
an act of worship! It is true, they are not exempted 


V Ps. xlvii- 8, 


'238 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

from misfortune, or rendered invulnerable to the attacks 
of evil; but they are well prepared for, and will be gra¬ 
ciously sustained in every vicissitude. 

Years before The predestined hour having arrived, a son 
Christ, 1155. ^yas bom to Hannah, whom she named Samuel ; 
“ because,” said she, “ 1 have asked him of the Lord.” 
Sometimes, what has been sought with importunity, is re¬ 
ceived with coldness, or enjoyed with ingratitude. No 
sooner is the blessing bestowed, no sooner is the tear of 
agony dried up, than every pledge is forgotten, and the 
mind relapses into thankless indifference. The sun 
shines, and our impressions pass away with the storm. 
But Hannah adopted a measure well calculated to excite 
every member of the family, and his mother in particular, 
to a perpetual recurrence to the goodness of Providence. 
She was resolved upon an expedient, by which the flame 
of gratitude might be kept incessantly burning in her 
breast. Could she ever look upon Samuel without recol¬ 
lecting he was “ asked of God ?” Could she ever repeat 
the name of her beloved first-born, without thinking of 
the Hearer of prayer ? Amidst the ecstasies of maternal 
love, when she witnessed the infant sportings, and traced 
the expanding faculties of her Samuel, how often would 
she remember the stirrings of her spirit, and the sad 
days of her reproach. Once she had scarcely indulged 
the hope of being a mother, much less the mother of so 
remarkable a child. Once she wept in bitterness of soul, 
now she shed tears of parental transport. 

Assiduity in the discharge of maternal duties is the next 
distinguishing excellence of Hannah to which our atten¬ 
tion is invited. The sensibilities of her character seemed 
to have remarkably qualified her for the new station she 
was called to occupy after the birth of her child. 

Providence has so wisely and so kindly ordered the 
connexion subsisting between the parent and the offspring, 
and has rendered human nature, even in its depraved 
state, so susceptible of fine impressions and feelings, that 
the moment this relationship commences, a sort of new' 


HANNAH. 


2^39 


character is superinduced. When a dependent little being 
is presented, a careful and protecting disposition is gene- 
rally displayed ; the arm of support is readily held forth 
to the weakness of infancy, and the most inconsiderate 
and volatile of women are, by a natural instinct—a cer¬ 
tain powerful, indefinable transformation—converted to 
sober habits and necessary attentiveness. Who can with¬ 
hold his admiration of this singular economy, or refuse 
to admit the interference of an invisible and wonder¬ 
working God! If this be the effect in ordinary instances, 
it is easy to imagine that the wife of Elkanah proved an 
exemplary instance of diligence and goodness when she 
became a mother. For such an honourable situation she 
was peculiarly qualified by her gentleness and piety. 
The precious gift, for which she had been so solicitous, 
was nursed with fondness, and eventually presented with 
all a mother’s, with all a Christian’s joy, to the Lord in 
Shiloh. 

At the next anniversary festival, ElkanaJi went up to 
fulfil a vow he had made, and to renew the dedication of 
himself and his family to the divine service. Hannah 
accompanied him in spirit, but was prevented from a per¬ 
sonal attendance by her little lovely dependant : she inti¬ 
mated to her husband the propriety of her remaining at 
home, pledging herself to undertake the pleasing journey 
when the child was weaned. “ Then,” said she, “ I 
will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and 
there abide for ever.” It is no honour to religion for its 
professors to neglect the duties of civil life under the 
pretence of superior sanctity : in vain do those who dis¬ 
regard their families apologize for their misconduct by 
pleading their diligence in pious services. Religion not 
only requires a punctuality of observance in reference to 
its more public engagements, but demands an unremitted 
attention to those of a more private, social, and domestic 
nature : these ought not indeed to be view ed apart, in a 
separate and disunited form, but as constituting a beautiful 
whole. Religion, m fact, consists both in diligence and 


240 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

devotion, in the occupation of our stations in society, as 
well as in fulfilling the services of the sanctuary ; in nurs¬ 
ing and educating the child, as well as in presenting the 
sacrifice, or keeping the holy festival of saints. 

Elkanah fully concurred with the arrangements of 
Hannah. Happy is it for that family where the domes¬ 
tic hearth is cheered by love and the altar by piety 
Happy they, whose affection, planted in religion, resem¬ 
bles a flourishing tree that spreads its shade over the 
united household ? Hannah consulted her husband, and 
stated the reasons of the plan she had devised—Elkanah 
listened to the representations of his wife, and instantly 
assented. “ Do,” said he, “ what seemeth thee good ; 
tarry until thou hast weaned him ; only the Lord establish 
his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck 
until she weaned him.” 

How beautiful is the allusion of the royal psalmist to 
this important period in the history of infancy : “ Lord, 
my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty ; neither do 
I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high 
for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself as a 
child that is weaned of his mother : my soul is even as a 
weaned child.It costs, indeed, a severe struggle to 
alienate the little offspring from the breast from which it 
has drawn the means of subsistence, and, for a short time, 
uneasiness and fretfulness may be the result; but when the 
days of weaning are accomplished, the long-valued pro¬ 
vision is regarded with total indifference. Strong is the 
conflict and sharp the encounter between a sense of duty 
and an inclination to sin, when the world presents those 
fascinating pleasures which are so adapted to the appetites 
of nature ; but having obtained the victory—having, 
through the grace of God, triumphed over the entice¬ 
ment, a real Christian will contemplate the glories of this 
world which once enchanted him, with an indifferent eye, 
and seek more substantial blessings. What naturally 


* Ps. cxxxi. 1, 2. 


HANNAH. 


241 


afforded satisfaction, will, in a renewed state of mind, 
excite aversion or be treated with neglect. The propen¬ 
sity being conquered, will never, or but partially return, 
and if not absolutely exterminated, it can never again ac¬ 
quire an ascendancy. The soul is become,.in reference 
to the fleeting honours and possessions of time, like a 
“ weaned child.” 

It is at once our duty and felicity to aim at this detach¬ 
ment of affection from the vanities of life, to cherish a 
holy disinclination to its allurements, and to seek our bliss 
in the unfading good which Scripture recommends and 
Heaven dispenses. An interest in the love of God, by 
faith in the Redeemer, is the supreme enjoyment to which 
we are encouraged to aspire, and which alone can fill the 
capacities and consummate the blessedness of intelligent 
and immortal creatures. Pitiable is the situation of those 
who are still attached, with childish fondness, to what 
cannot promote their spiritual growth, and befits not their 
advancing maturity. “Let Israel,” then, “ hope in the 
Lord from henceforth and for ever.”^ 

* Ps. cxsxi. 3. 


VoL. I. 


'X 




SECTION II. 

Samuel is devoted to the service of tlie sanctuary—uniformity of character 
exemplified in Hannah—her song paraphrased—five other children born 
to Hamiah—view of her natural kindness and self-denying piety. 

As soon as the time proposed by Hannah had elapsed, 
she thought offalfilling her vow, and hastened to Shiloh. 
In the days of her distress she had pledged herself to de¬ 
vote her child to the service of God ; in the days of her 
prosperity she does not forget the obligation. Never, so 
far as we can discover, was a more perfect example of 
female excellence and persevering religion : in adversity 
and in prosperity, in sorrow and in joy, the light of her 
piety shone with undiminishing splendour. She had vir¬ 
tues appropriate to every season, and conspicuous in eve¬ 
ry situation : in affliction she cannot be reproached with 
impatience, nor in success with ingratitude. 

When Samuel was weaned, she took him with her, 
with three bullocks, an ephah of flour, and a bottle of 
wine, determining to leave him with the priest, for the 
purpose of being trained up to the service of the taber¬ 
nacle. It was an equal honour to the pupil and the tutor, 
the one to have such a priest as Eli, the other to have 
such a child as Samuel. With all the dignity of inno¬ 
cence, and all the pleasure of devotion, she presented 
the little stranger to Eli, reminding him of the occasion 
when she first pledged herself to consecrate the child 
she requested to the work of the sanctuary, and explain¬ 
ing a vow of which he was previously ignorant. It is 
true that God and her own soul were the only witnesses 
and hearers of this vow ; but she did not deem it the less 
obligatory though it was made in secret, nor was her up¬ 
right mind the less anxious for its punctual fulfilment: 


HANNAH. 


243 


And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. 
And she said, O my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I 
am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the 
Lord. For this child i praj^ed ; and the Lord hath given 
me my petition which 1 asked of him : therefore also I 
have lent him to the Lord : as long as he liveth he shall 
be lent to the Lord.” 

There is an exquisite delicacy in this language. The 
allusion to her former appearance in the house of God is 
as cursory as could be devised to enable the good priest 
to recognize her. Eli is reminded of her former pray¬ 
ers, but not a syllable is uttered tending to criminate or 
to reflect upon his past precipitancy and misrepresenta¬ 
tion. She tells a simple story, in a candid and respectful 
manner. The points of deepest interest are introduced, 
and her darling child is devoted for ever, and with unre- 
luctant zeal, to the <iOd of her salvation. 

Let the impatient and revengeful study the example of 
Hannah, who did not allow herself to utter an angry 
word, or even to cherish a resentful feeling against Eli, 
when he preferred against her an inconsiderate and ag¬ 
gravating accusation ; much less did she indulge a spirit 
of malignity. How many would have felt an invincible 
aversion, even though his frank acknowledgment had 
compelled them to a momentary reconciliation ; and, 
viewing his character ever after through the medium of 
prejudice, would have magnified every feeling, and flung 
their public reproaches, or circulated their secret whis¬ 
pers and surmises against this venerable minister of 
the tabernacle. It becomes the people of God to be 
careful of the reputation of their brethren, and aim to 
wipe off the aspersions with which the world is apt to 
depreciate their characters, rather than to unite in the 
clamours of defamation.* Men in official situations are 
placed upon a pinnacle which renders them conspicu¬ 
ous, and envy is always ready to shoot at them its enve¬ 
nomed darts. They have their faults indeed, but let cha¬ 
rity cover them : they may have also their counterbalan- 


244 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOSRAPHt, 


cing excellencies—let piety observe and imitate the:^ 
Should the criminal conduct of such persons belie their 
general profession, dishonour the religion they profess, 
and render it necessary to displace them, we ought to 
tremble for ourselves, and not triumph in their fall. 
Who would be qualified to cast the first stone, if his of¬ 
fences were all detected, exposed, and treated with mer¬ 
ciless severity ? 

The practice of dedicating children to God, is, we per¬ 
ceive, sanctioned by the usage of high antiquity ; but, 
what is far better, it is conformable to reason and Scrip¬ 
ture. Sometimes, indeed, it is accompanied with much 
absurdity and superstition ; but, when properly attended 
to, it secures many advantages. Prayer, at all times im¬ 
portant, is peculiarly effectual when offered in so solemn 
a manner ; and if, in ordinary cases, it procure the bless¬ 
ings of Heaven, a well-founded hope may be excited, 
that the interesting little object of such a service will 
reap some substantial benefits. It tends besides to purify 
the domestic affectious, and to regulate their exercise. 
The child which is bestowed in answer to prayer, 
and by prayer is, at the very dawn of existence, conse¬ 
crated to God, and committed to the future care and 
guidance of his providence, is regarded with a new kind 
of feeling even by its parents ; their fondness receives a 
peculiar tone and character from their piety ; the motive 
to seek its spiritual interest is strengthened by their holy 
vows ; and they cannot but feel an additional motive 
to impart early instruction, to cultivate its expanding 
faculties, and form the young immortal both for its present 
and ultimate destination. 

Devote then, ye mothers of Israel, devote your babes 
to piety and God! Hesitate not to incur the solemn re¬ 
sponsibility which a vow impliesjin reference to your ten¬ 
der offspring : it is the most immediate method of making 
them your future comforts in this life, and your compan¬ 
ions in a better. Your solicitude will at least afford you 
personal satisfaction ; you will inherit the delightful con- 


HANNAH. 


245 


sciousness of having done your duty : you may be hap¬ 
pily instrumental in producing early impressions, and 
preparing them for their future crown. Then, should 
they depart from the world before you, to be “ for 
ever with the Lord,” they will rise from their thrones 
of light to hail your approach, and mingle their thanks¬ 
givings and praises with yours in the songs of eternity. 

Uniformity of character is a high attainment, of w hich 
Scripture history presents some pleasing specimens, 
though, perhaps, it affords more numerous instances of ir¬ 
regularity. The early life of some is nothing but the 
record of crime and folly, when the passions were indul¬ 
ged in unbridled licentiousness, and the moral creation 
groaned beneath the burden of their vices ; but afterward 
retrieving their errors, they have become examples of 
sobriety, kindness, and religion. Others shone forth at 
first wdth pre-eminent brightness, attracting the eyes of 
an extensive community to their juvenile excellence, and 
holding forth the best promises of futurity ; but their 
goodness has proved like the morning cloud, and like the 
early dew, that passeth away; the eyes of parental ten¬ 
derness, that once glistened with rapture and admiration, 
are suffused with tears ; the church of God, that once 
hailed their zeal, is filled with regrets to witness its fad¬ 
ed ardours and its altered nature. “ How is the gold be¬ 
come dim, and the fine gold changed ?” 

There is another, a sort of intermediate class, who 
have rather a doubtful complexion, some of whose ac¬ 
tions indicate piety, others the reverse: at a distance 
they may be admired, but, upon a closer inspection, their 
principles are questionable, and, as our acquaintance 
with them increases, our respect irresistibly diminishes. 
Candour itself, which wmuld put the most favourable con¬ 
struction upon them, is compelled to see new spots at»d 
blemishes in proportion as w'e perceive more distinctly 
their entire character. 

The illustrious female, however, before us, exhibits a 
singular contrast to all these diversities. From the first 

X2 


246 


FfiMALK SCRIFTUKK BIOGKAPUIT. 


to the last mention of her name in the page of Scripture, 
she challenges unmitigated admiration : she is uniform 
in every character: adversity and prosperity find her the 
same woman: she does not murmur in the one, she is 
not vain in the other. There is but a single variety in 
her character, arising from its progressive excellence. 
She is not the same, only because she is better ; our ve¬ 
neration keeps pace with our knowledge. Her character 
does not, like that of many others, suffer by investigation ; 
it does not resemble an object seen at some distance 
through a mist, which is magnified into unnatural dimen¬ 
sions, so that*the illusion vanishes when you come near ; 
but is like a tower seen afar off under a clear sky, swell¬ 
ing in majesty at every step of approximation. 

We are now brought to the close of Hannah’s history : 
it is even more splendid than its commencement. We 
have traced her through the various characters of a per¬ 
secuted wife, a weeping suppliant, a misrepresented wor- 
.shipper, a joyful mother, and a grateful saint, fulfilling her 
TOWS and devoting her first-born to the service of God. 
In some respects the latter must have proved a trying oc¬ 
casion, a duty of difficult execution ; and we could have 
forgiven, we could liave sympathized with the tears of a 
mother who was placed in the situation of violating her 
vows or giving up her darling ; we could have pitied her 
struggles, while we commended their successful issue, in 
leaving her Samuel behind her at Shiloh. But she as- 
.sumes a higher tone and spirit: the mother is absorbed 
in the saint; and, at the moment when we expected the 
language of parting regret and anxiety, behold, she 
bursts into a song of praise, and soars to the heights of 
prophecy. 

This holy effusion is somewhat analogous to that of 
the mother of our Lord, which we shall hereafter have 
occasion to illustrate. In the mean time the hymn of 
Hannah claims our examination. It is called a prayer, 
because it was addressed to God as an act of worship, and 


HANNAH. 24’7 

because the acknowledgment and celebration of divine 
mercies constitute an important branch of devotion. 

“ My heart rejoiceth in the Lord ; mine horn is 

EXALTED IN THE LoRD : MV MOUTH IS ENLARGED OVER 
MINE ENEMIES : BECAUSE I REJOICE IN THY SALVATION.” 

A vain mother might have celebrated her son, and, if 
she had expressed a general sense of divine goodness in 
his bestowment, would have dwelt with satisfaction upon 
his premature indications of greatness. Inordinate at" 
tachment to the gift is apt to obliterate from the mind a 
grateful recollection of the giver ; and to this forgetful¬ 
ness we are liable to be seduced by our affections. But 
Hannah cannot taste of the stream without being led to 
the fountain ; she cannot receive mercies without view¬ 
ing the hand that bestow^s them ; nor be so enraptured 
with the blessing as to sink the Creator in the creature. 
In fact, Samuel is unnamed. His beauty, his pliability— 
whatever he really possessed, or whatever the fond eye 
of a mother fancied he possessed—all was forgotten, lost, 
and annihilated in God. Every valued blessing—her 
child, her husband, her possessions—the whole creation 
vanished into nothingness before the thought of the “ eter¬ 
nal All !” 

The “ horn” is an emblem of power and pre-eminence, 
and Hannah speaks of its exaltation. She had been de¬ 
graded and despised for the childless condition, and had 
suffered reproach from the daughters of Israel, in parti¬ 
cular from Peninnah; but she had now, through the 
mercy of God, risen to distinction, and obtained the ob¬ 
ject of her warmest solicitude. The lips which before 
moved in secret whispers or inarticulate prayer, are now 
taught to praise ! The horn was also an instrument of 
music, and was lifted up to be sounded in the sacred 
chorus. In the days of David we read of the sons of 
Heman, who were to “ hit up the horn and this pious 
woman perhaps borrow^ed the allusion to represent the 


V 

* 1 Chron. xxT. S. 


245 FEMALE eCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

ardour of her worship and the triumph that inspired her 
ton 2 :ue. 

If, with her solemn praises, Hannah blended a mo¬ 
mentary recollection of the unkindness with which she 
had been treated, it was solely to express her thankful¬ 
ness for deliverance, and not to produce a charge against 
her enemies. “ Her mouth was enlarged, ” indeed, but 
not to utter the language of retaliation, not in passionate 
exclamations or in threatening words, but to memorialize 
the goodness of the Lord. Nor was this her only source 
of joy. Temporal interposition served but to remind her 
of spiritual blessings, and, while her spirit exulted in the 
birth of her Samuel, she looked forward to a more aus¬ 
picious day, and rejoiced in the “ salvation” which should 
hereafter be accomplished by the incarnation of the Re¬ 
deemer. 

Winged with holy rapture, she now ascends far above 
all earthly interests and concerns ; and quitting the sub¬ 
ject, to which she had made but a transient allusion, 
though of the deepest personal importance, she meditates 
alone on infinite perfection : 

“ There is none holy as the Lord : for there is 

NONE BESIDES THEE *. NEITHER IS THERE ANY ROCK LIKE 

OUR God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly ; let 

NOT ARROGANCY COME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH ; FOR THE 

Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are 
weighed.” 

The attributes of the Divine Being excite in the bo¬ 
soms of the wicked unmingled dread. Every manifesta¬ 
tion of his character is an appeal against their impieties, 
and hence they “ desire not the knowledge of his ways.” 
In a state of innocence the presence of the blessed God 
enhanced the felicities of Paradise, and nothing but the 
estrangement which sin has occasioned could have so al¬ 
tered the views and perverted the inclinations of mankind 
as to render the best of beings an object of terror; but 
in proportion to the renewal of the mind will be the re¬ 
turn of that feeling of complacency which was cherished 
by unfallen man, and is felt by sinless immortals. 


HANNAfi. 


S49 


In all the principal events of her own life, and in the 
general regulation of human affairs, Hannah perceived a 
display of those perfections which she now celebrates; 
the perfections of holiness, power, omniscience, and jus¬ 
tice. Nothing is better calculated to suppress the arro¬ 
gance of man than the contemplation of these divine ex¬ 
cellences, which are so many rays of one ineffable glory; 
distinct, yet blended ; separate, yet harmonious in their 
operations. The history of pagan nations supplies ample 
proof that the spirituality of the divine essence, which 
implies the existence and exercise of these attributes, 
is too high an idea for a creature sunk under the domi¬ 
nion of his senses ; he cannot ascend to the conception of 
infinite purity and wisdom : God is not known, and can¬ 
not be discovered as the searcher of hearts, and the 
righteous dispenser of good- and evil, life and death : he 
cannot realize his unlimited dominion, nor imagine 
the pervading presence of that all-seeing eye which 
looks through the universe, penetrates every conceal¬ 
ment, and observes, with leisurely and perfect survey, 
every movement of the soul. It is the province of reve¬ 
lation to disclose these great facts, and the privilege of 
piety to triumph in them. 

“ The bows of the mighty men are broken, and 

THEY THAT STUMBLED ARE GIRDED WITH STRENGTH. 

They that were full have hired out themselves 

FOR BREAD ; AND THEY THAT WERE HUNGRY CEASED : 
80 THAT THE BARREN HATH BORNE SEVEN : AND SHE 
THAT HATH MANY CHILDREN HATH WAXED FEEBLE.” 

The dispensations of Providence illustrate his perfec¬ 
tions. Often, indeed, they do not accord with human 
plans or expectations, but they are nevertheless marked 
with wisdom and equity. In accomplishing the mighty 
purposes of omnipotence, the strong are sometimes weak¬ 
ened, and the feeble supplied with power ; the wealthy 
are impoverished, and the poor enriched ; the childless 
blessed with families, and those whose tables are 


250 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


rounded with a smiling offspring made to weep over their 
fading health and glory. For, 

The Lord killeth, and maketh alive ; he 

BRINGETH DOWN TO THE GRAVE, AND BRINGETH UP. 

The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich : he 

BRINGETH LOW, AND LIFTETH UP. He RAISETH UP THE 
POOR OUT OP THE DUST, AND LIFTETH UP THE BEGGAR 
FROM THE DUNGHILL, TO SET THEM \MONG PRINCES, 
AND TO MAKE THEM INHERIT THE THRONE OF GLORY : 
FOR THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH ARE THE LoRD’s, AND 
HE HATH SET THE WORLD UPON THEM.” 

These changes are frequently ascribed, by unthinking 
mortals, to mere chance, or at least to the uncontrolled 
operation of second causes. Hannah ascribes them “ to 
the Lord. ” Her faith discerned an invisible hand, and re¬ 
joiced in an omniscient superintendence. Whatever con¬ 
fusion appears to the eye of sense to prevail in the world, 
religion has access behind the scenes, observes the finger 
that touches the prime spring of the vast machine of pro¬ 
vidence, and sees nothing but harmonious movements, 
concurrent designs, merciful and intelligible plans, per¬ 
fect and universal order. The perspective of human 
affairs is to such an one complete : he is placed by the 
fear of God in the very point of observance. ; he looks to 
the distant results, to the termination of the series, and 
every object, to his renewed sight,^appears in just and 
proportionate dimensions. Unless seen from this point, 
every thing will be out of place and contradictory ; and 
human arrogance will naturally arraign as irregular, im¬ 
perfect, or unwise, what genuine piety will acknowledge 
to be best. 

“ He will keep the feet of his saints, and the 

WICKED SHALL BE SILENT IN DARKNESS ; FOR BY STRENGTH 
SHALL NO MAN PREVAIL. ThE ADVERSARIES OF THE LoRD 
SHALL BE BROKEN TO PIECES ; OUT OF HEAVEN SHALL HE 
THUNDER UPON THEM : THE LoRD SHALL JUDGE THE ENDS 
OF THE EARTH ; AND HE SHALL GIVE STRENGTH UlfTO HIS 
KING, AND EXALT THE HORN OF HIS ANOINTED.” 


HANNAH. 


251 


There is a progressive energy in this sacred song, 
Hannah warms into enthusiasm as she proceeds, till, un¬ 
der the influence of a heavenly inspiration, she assumes 
the language of prophecy, and becomes “ rapt into future 
times.” At the opening she expressed her gratitude for 
personal blessings ; hence she is led to celebrate the per¬ 
fections of Jehovah : then she proclaims the interference 
of his providence in the vicissitudes of this lower world : 
and finally, proceeds to contrast the destinies of the 
righteous and wicked, as resulting from the manifestation 
of the Messiah to rule over all nations by a spiritual and 
everlasting dominion. In that name which is above 
every name, in the hallowed name of the anointed one, 
the song of Hannah terminates. What greater honour 
could be conferred on a woman than to be gifted with 
that spirit of prophecy which first announced the ap¬ 
proaching Redeemer, to whom all the prophets gave wit¬ 
ness ? She speaks of his authority as a “ King,” his ad¬ 
ministration as a “ Judge,” his work as a Priest and 
Prophet, prefigured by that oil which was poured upon 
the most eminent of mankind who were types of the 
distinguished Personage who was to come, and who is 
therefore designated as the Lord’s “ Anointed.” How 
great his influence ! “ he will keep the feet of his saints I” 
How terrible his power! “ the adversaries of the Lord 
shall be broken in pieces : out of heaven shall he thun- 
i der upon them.” Preposterous indeed is the hope of 
i his enemies, that they shall evade the destruction of his 
( iron rod ; while pleasing and well-founded is the expecta- 
\ tion of his saints, who bow wdth unreluctant submission, 

‘ with grateful acceptance, to his golden sceptre ! 

Almost twelve hundred years were yet untold when 
Hannah uttered this prediction of the Messiah ; and yet 
her faith, overleaping the ages of intervening time, be¬ 
held his glory and triumphed in his salvation. No dark¬ 
ness could blind her perceptions, nothing could repress 
her love: she lived, as it were, in advance, and, like many 



252 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

of her illustrious predecessors and of her posterity, be¬ 
lieved in Christ to the saving of her soul. 

These ages are passed away, and many more are num¬ 
bered since the actual manifestation of the Son of God 
in human nature. We are partakers of his day ; we live 
in the light of his glory : from the ages of prediction we 
are advanced to those of accomplishment, from the time 
of shadows to the era of reality. And have we improved 
upon the past, in the strength of our faith or in the 
warmth of our attachment to the Lord of glory?” Would 
a fair comparison of our state of mind with that of early 
saints, in far distant ages, prove advantageous or unfa¬ 
vourable to our character ? Is our piety proportionate to 
our privileges? Does the intensity of our love equal the 
clearness of our discoveries ? These are salutary ques¬ 
tions, and questions of practical importance. Let us aim to 
be able to put them often to our consciences without a 
blush. 

Very little more information is communicated respect¬ 
ing Hannah : her history is merged in that of her dis¬ 
tinguished son. We have, however, a beautiful picture 
of her maternal character, a record of the blessing which 
the aged priest pronounced upon the family, and an ac¬ 
count of five other children which Providence gave 
them: “ Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a 
child girded with a linen ephod. Moreover his mother 
made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to 
year, when she came up with her husband to offer the 
yearly sacrifice. And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, 
and said, The Lord give thee seed of this woman, for the 
loan which is lent to the Lord. And they went unto their 
own home. And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she 
conceived and bare three sons and two daughters.”* 

The good mother and the eminent saint are delight¬ 
fully blended in the wife of Elkanah, and the influence 
;of each is obvious in Samuel. Eli seems to have beheld 


* i Stun. H. 18—21. 


ilAMXAlI. 


him with unusual aftection. He liaJ been early trained 
to gentleness, docility, and goodness. Discipline at home 
commenced from his first infancy, and continuing to the 
moment of his removal to Shiloh, prepared him for the 
course of life to which he was so soon introduced. Too 
often the petulance and frowardness of children indicate 
- the defective nature of their education : indulgence has 
permitted the wild plant to shoot forth its branches with 
irregular luxuriancy, and it has become both unsightly and 
enfeebled for want of being properly pruned. To suffer 
the propensities and passions of children to go unre¬ 
strained is the extreme of cruelty, being the most direct 
means of rendering them burdens to society and tor¬ 
mentors to themselves. 

Hannah, with admirable firmness, relinquished her 
youthful charge to the care of Eli at the call of duty, 
and with no less admirable affection and prudence con¬ 
tinued to maintain that kind of intercourse which tends 
to promote mutual love. A passionaie mother would 
have urged her husband to remove to Shiloh, for the sake 
of having her little darling perpetually under her eye ; 
a prudent one chose to remain at Ramah, only bringing 
her present at the annual festivals. True love knows 
when to separate, and is ready to make necessary sacri¬ 
fices to the good of a valued child. He was in excellent 
hands, training to a noble work, under a venerable priest, 
and in conformity to a solemn vow. Providence was not 
unobservant of his mother’s heroism and piety, and she 
is amply repaid, not only by his superior excellence, but 
by her own increasing family. One child is lent to the 
Lord,^z?e are given. She possessed with gratitude, she 
resigned with magnanimity, and she is recompensed by 
multiplication. 

Let children never forget the debt they owe to mater¬ 
nal tenderness, a debt which the devoted affection and 
kindness of a whole life can scarcely discharge. Let the 
fond parent who nursed your infancy, corrected your 
frowardness, sowed the seeds of knowledge and piety in 
VoL. I. Y 



‘tei FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHV, 

your heart, watched, wept, and prayed over you, be 
ever dear, ever respected and loved. She who has sus¬ 
tained your weakness may live to need support from 
your strength; she who held you up in the helpless¬ 
ness of infancy may require your supporting arm, and 
deserves your sympathizing aid in the years of her 
decrepitude. 

Young persons need to be reminded, however, that 
even the impiety of parents is no sufficient reason for 
disrespecting them as parents; and if you possess the 
inestimable treasure of religion, it will be best evinced 
in soothing the cares, ministering to the necessities, and 
setting an example of every duty before the eyes of 
those who are still so unhappy as to be destitute of it. 
But you who are born of the children of God, and who 
have been nourished and educated under the wing of 
parental piety, can never be too thankful to the God of 
your salvation, and at some future period may have to 
adopt the poet’s elevated strain— 

“ My boast is not that I deduce my birth 
From loins enthroned, and rulers of the earth; 

But higher far my proud pretensions rise— 

The son of parents pass’d into the skies.” 


COWPER. 


ABIGAIL. 


i i- 
X ■' 



CHAPTER XI. 


Many persons naturally capable of great attainments and elevated stations 
have lived and died unknown—the dispensations of Providence analogous 
in this respect to the arrangements of nature—Scripture account of Na- 
bal and Abigail—sources of incongruous marriages—ambition—wish to 
maintain the respectability of a family—persuasion of friends—early dis¬ 
appointments—Nabal’s conduct to David—Abigail’s interposition—death 
of her husband—she becomes David’s wife. 

3 I 1 LLIONS of the human race, naturally capable ol 
great attainments and mighty exploits, had they been dif¬ 
ferently circumstanced, or had their mental and moral 
energies been properly cultivated, have died as they 
have lived, in a state of obscurity. Unknown to the rest 
of mankind even by name, they have scarcely wandered 
from the precincts of their native village, or the cottage 
that gave them birth; but, like the wild flowers of the 
untrodden wilderness, hare sprung up, and bloomed, and 
perished upon the same spot. Successive generations 
have occupied the identical sphere of their ancestors, 
living in the same unenvied seclusion, and at last carried 
to the same undistinguished grave. 

Whoever has had an opportunity of knowing the state 
of society and the character of man in retirement, must 
be aware that the amazing disparity subsisting between 
I the extremes of rusticity and of polished life arises far 
I less from original disproportions of capacity than from 
the accidental circumstances which attach to the two 
conditions. Education has a tendency to remove these 
differences, to elevate the inferior classes of society from 
I their degradation, to raise them in the scale of being, and 

I to unite man to man : but still more important effects re¬ 

sult from religion, which, by fixing the thoughts on holy 
I and heavenly objects, and firing the breast with incessant 




a5t> FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

ardour in the pursuit of them, advances the character to a 
dignity otherwise unattainable. How much humble pie¬ 
ty has bloomed in the by-paths of life, far from the 
crowded highway of the world, amidst the recesses of 
privacy! How often has the beauty of holiness adorned 
the most misshapen, or otherwise unattractive exterior 1 
How many great and pious individuals have occupied the 
vale of poverty, the objects of divine approbation and of 
angelic joy ; who, under different circumstances, might 
have been ornaments of the political world, or lights in 
the church of God ; and will be pillars for ever in the 
celestial temple! 

These dispensations of Providence are analogous to 
certain arrangements in nature. How many showers 
descend, and how many vegetable productions grow in 
barren wildernesses ! It is not till after ages of research 
that a few species and varieties have been discovered ; 
and it may be questioned whether an equal, if not a far 
greater number, still exist in the unfrequented solitudes 
of creation, which science may not visit for centuries yet 
to come : and of those which are at present known, a 
lew only of their qualities, and the uses for which they 
were formed, have been ascertained. To pronounce a 
condemnatory sentence upon that wisdom which assigned 
them their places, merely on account of our incapacity 
to discover their precise destination, would be presump¬ 
tuous and impious in the extreme ; nor would it be less 
so to contemn the unsearchable mysteries of Providence, 
whose arrangements surpass the comprehension and con¬ 
found the inquiries of man. 

Some of those “ lights shining in a dark place’’ have, 
however, been occasionally brought into view by unex¬ 
pected circumstances; and more than one is exhibited 
through the medium of the inspired word. They would 
have for ever remained in concealment, and their names 
have perished, excepting from the book of God’s remem¬ 
brance, but for some apparent casualty. A history of in¬ 
cidents would furnish a most delightful record of Provi- 


ABIGAIL. 


257 

dence, showing its secret, but certain operations, and its 
connecting, though, to superficial observers, invisible 
✓ links. One of these, in the life of David, presents the 
brief, but interesting account of Abigail, who, like Job 
in Uz, Jostph in Egypt, and Daniel in Chaldea, exhibited 
a specimen of solitary excellence, which at length emer¬ 
ged from obscurity, and, by means of her connexion with 
one of the most eminent of mankind, shone in an appro¬ 
priate sphere. 

She is thus introduced to our notice, in the scriptural 
narrative, at a time when the son of Jesse was “ hunted 
like a partridge upon the mountains” by his royal perse- 

Years before David arose, and went down 

Christ, about to the wildemess of Paran. And there was 
a man in Maon, whose possessions were in 
Carmel : and the man w^as very great, and he had three 
thousand sheep and a thousand goats : and he was shear¬ 
ing his sheep in Carmel. Now the name of the man w^as 
Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a 
woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful counte¬ 
nance : but the man was churlish and evil in his doings ; 
and he was of the house of Caleb. 

The contrast which the characters of Nabal and Abi¬ 
gail exhibit, may well excite astonishment, that persons 
so dissimilar should have become united by the tender 
ties of matrimony, and may lead us to inquire a little into 
the sources of some incongruities of this kind, which not 
unfrequently make their appearance in society. How is 
it, that adaptation to each other^ in point of mental and 
moral qualities especially, which seems so great a pre¬ 
requisite to happiness, should seldom form the basis of an 
union voluntarily contracted, and incapable of dissolution 
—an union of the closest nature, and an union for life ? 

Frequently an ill-assorted connexion arises from an^ 
ambitious motive; one party is wealthy, the other aspiring. 
Attracted by the gilded bait, it is seized too eagerly to 


^ 1 Sam. XXV. 1—3. 

Y 2 




258 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

admit of prudential considerations respecting the possi¬ 
bility of concealed mischief, from which, like the fish 
once caught by the hook, it is too late to be disentangled. 
It cannot be asserted that Abigail was induced to marry 
her churlish husband from such a motive, though it will 
not be deemed improbable by those whose experience of 
the world convinces them that even persons like her, of 
good understanding, beauty, and piety, are sometimes 
guilty of similar improprieties. Riches are, on many ac¬ 
counts, attractive to those whose immaturity of judgment 
is dazzled by the glare of life, and who are consequently 
too apt to associate in their conceptions things which, in 
reality, have no connexion —splendour and happiness. 
The mind is naturally gratified by a sense of elevation 
above the usual level of mankind, as persons ascending 
in an air-balloon become elevated, even amidst their dan¬ 
gers, in consequence of attaining a height impossible to 
others, and attracting the idle gaze of spectators on the 
ground; It is supposed also, that wealth will furnish 
some covert from the storms of adversity, if not a perfect 
security against them ; and, forgetting that it tends to 
multiply and extend our wants in a tenfold proportion to 
the means of supplying them, the sheep and the goats of 
a Nabal are viewed with ardent but mistaken fondness. 
It is difficult to convince the young of their errors upon 
this subject; nevertheless, we forewarn them that the 
experiment is hazardous, the prospect delusory, the pos^ 
sessions of life uncertain, and utterly incapable of com¬ 
pensating for the absence of moral qualities and social 
suitabilities ; above all, we proclaim the criminahty of 
cherishing an avaricious disposition, and the practical 
falsehood of giving it the name of love. A young woman 
acting upon this principle literally fulfils the common 
representation of the case, by throwing herself away, and, 
in one rash moment, forfeits her reputation and her 
happiness. 

This unsuitability of connexion in married life some¬ 
times originates in a mutual, but foolish wish to maintain 


ABIGAIL. 


iii50 

the respectabiliiy of the family. In such instances both 
are wealthy, and join their fortunes as a sort of compro¬ 
mise to the opinion of the world and their own pride, 

I for the sake of maintaining their rank. It is true, an 
equality, or some fair proportion in point of fortune, as 
society is constituted, seems in itself desirable^ and, if it 
can be accomplished, is as legitimate an object of pursuit 
as similarity of age or of mind ; but the practice of 
i making this an absolute prerequisite, of sacrificing to it 
1 the aft’ections of the heart, and, qualifications of far 
greater importance, of rendering the want of it a suffi- 
, cient ground of refusing a matrimonial alliance, though 
age, temper, religion, -and every commendable quality, 
may be placed in the other scale, and of deeming the 
i possession of it enough when other great requisites are 
I absent, is both foolish and wicked. No reason can exist, 
in such a case, why an Abigail—a woman of “ good un-^ 
derstanding,” should connect herself with a Nabal—a 
man “ churlish and evil in his doings.” 

Occasionally the same evil arises from ihe persuasion of 
others, especially of those who are entitled to respect, 
and who sometimes, very improperly, interpose authority 
instead of suggesting advice. The parties immediately 
concerned would by no means, if left to themselves, se- 
lect each other as companions for life, but marry merely 
to satisfy their friends. It can never be regarded as 
otherwise than extreme cuelty in those who compel their 
children to gratify their predilections, instead of allowing 
them their own choice. As this is a connexion the hap- 
j piness of which so essentially depends upon the affec- 
! tions, and as no argument can force the heart into an 
attachment from which it naturally, or perhaps capri¬ 
ciously revolts, and as, moreover, the comfort of exist¬ 
ence results from the state of the mind far more than 
from any external circumstances whatever; reason and 
religion prescribe, that, after due caution and admonition, 

I persons should be permitted to determine ultimately for 
' themselves, without being subjected to the miserable 



260 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE TJOGRAPHY. 


alternative of accepting parental choice or forfeiting pa¬ 
rental fondness. 

Incongruous connexions may also originate in one or 
both of the parties having sulfered previous disappoint¬ 
ment. Young persons under the pang occasioned by 
the failure of a romantic attachment, foolishly resolve 
no more to consult affection, or even to allow it any share 
in the determination of their choice. They imagine it 
needless any longer to expect happiness, because they 
cannot possess the individual they supposed alone capable 
of promoting it, and repair to marriage merely as a re¬ 
fuge from solitude or from reproach. In such cases, they 
deem it of comparatively trifling consequence with whom 
they connect themselves, refusing to admit it possible 
that they should ever more obtain peace of mind. 

Nothings however, can be more delusive than such a 
^feeling. The immaturity of the judgment at the early 
age of first attachments, renders it probable that they 
may not, in reality, have made the best selection, and 
that their preferences were determined rather by casual 
circumstances and accidental impressions than any know¬ 
ledge of character or any perception of solid qualities. 
If the comfort of life depended upon the success of early 
predilections, it is probable few would be happy; but 
Providence has wisely ordered it otherwise, by constitu¬ 
ting it independent of arbitrary associations. 

Let not the young, therefore, precipitate themselves 
into improper connexions—into connexions not founded 
on principle, and not cemented by love, through indulging 
the notion that the gratification of a first romantic at¬ 
tachment is essential to happiness, and that, if disap¬ 
pointed, it is of no importance whether they become 
united to a gentle Isaac or a churlish Nabal; because, in 
reality, the prize is yet to be won, the jewel is yet at¬ 
tainable, and Providence may have kindly frustrated a 
present wish, to bestow ultimately a more substantial be¬ 
nefit. “ The way of man is not in himself: it is not in 
man that walketh to direct his steps.Our utmost efforts 

* Jerem. x. 23. 


ABIGAIL. 


2G1 


cannot arrest or accelerate the wheel of destiny, which 
is turned by a secret and invisible power, that raises or 
depresses, subserves or frustrates our purposes, irresis- 
tihhj indeed, but not arbitrarily; making “all things 
work together for good to them that love God.”* 

The history before us represents David as still a wan¬ 
derer from wilderness to wilderness, and reduced to 
great extremity. Hearing of the extraordinary festivities 
observ^ed upon the occasion of Nabal’s shearing his sheep, 
from which he inferred his opulence, ten messengers 
were sent to him to solicit, in the most respectful manner, 
a supply of provisions. It was intimated, that David had 
not availed himself of the power which the Arab emirs 
are accustomed to assume, of seizing whatever they 
need, but, on the contrary, had afforded protection, in¬ 
stead of exercising violence.! 

Nabal not only refused to comply with the request, 
but returned an insulting answer, which the young men 
carried to their master. David felt the utmost indigna¬ 
tion, and instantly prepared to resent the affront. The 
persecutions of Saul being no more than he expected, 
were borne with a fortitude, and requited by a forbear¬ 
ance, which cannot but excite our admiration ; but the 

I unlooked-for barbarity of Nabal took him by surprise, 

i and threw him into a rage. We cannot justify his hos- 

1 

I 

* Rom, viii. 28. 

i 

j f The Septuagint rendering of David’s message to Nabal explains the 
rapaciousness of the Arabs, and the forbearance of David. “ Behold, I 
have heard that thy shepherds are now' shearing for thee ; they w'ere with 
us in the w'ildemess, and we have not hindered them (ot/x o.TnKteKua'tt/xiv^ 
nor have we commanded them {ovk all the days of their 

being in Carmel.” “ This,” says Harmer, “ is translating like people 
perfectly well acquainted with the management of the Arab emirs, whose 
manners David, though he lived in the w'ilderness as they did, had not 
adopted. One of them at the head of six hundred men, would have com¬ 
manded, from lime to time, some provision or other present from Nabal’s 
servants, for permitting them to feed in quiet; and would have driven 
them away from the watering-place upon any dislike. He had not done 
Qither.” Observaiions, vol. i. p. 1?3. 





262 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


tile preparations, nor look without regret upon his rash 
proceeding, in taking four hundred of his armed followers 
to destroy Nabal. How unlike David, the man after 
God’s own heart, who had been so long trained in the 
school of affliction, and so often manifested a very differ¬ 
ent spirit! Alas, how easily are the best of men “ led 
into temptation and how necessary is it to exercise 
vigilance, not only over our “ easy besetting sins,” but 
over what we deem the least vulnerable points of our 
character! Neglecting the requisite precautions, we may 
be taken even on the strongest side, and at the most 
unexpected moment. 

One of the servants informed Abigail of what had oc¬ 
curred, stating the message of David and the behaviour 
of her husband ; and, at the same time, representing the 
civility with which the former had conducted himself to¬ 
wards the shepherds. 

A person of less understanding might have said, “ Let 
these rival chiefs settle the matter between themselves ; 
my husband had an undoubted right to do what he 
pleased with his own, and he has the means of defending 
Limself from a vindictive stranger.” But Abigail wisely 
listened to the information communicated by the servant, 
and instantly adopted a plan, which seemed indeed the 
only one calculated to avert the threatened blow. She 
took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and 
tive sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched 
corn, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred 
cakes of figs, which she hastened to present to David. 

This was excellent management. Had she repaired 
to her husband, and endeavoured to pacify his turbulent 
spirit by remonstrance, reason, or entreaty, the proba¬ 
bility is she would have met with a repulse, and disabled 
herself from any further interference. Had she merely 
sent the supply with which the asses were laden, the 
indignant son of Jesse might, very possibly, have re¬ 
turned it as insufficient, or pressed on with his armed 
men to compel Nabal to make reparation for the affront 


ABIGAIL. 


2G3 


iie had ventured to offer. This skilful negotiator, how¬ 
ever, goes herself to settle the contention which had so 
suddenly arisen ; and never, surely, was a better arranged 
or more successful expedition. 

The moment Abigail perceived David she alighted from 
her ass, and, falling prostrate at his feet, addressed him 
in language well calculated to accomplish her wishes. 
Every thing was in perfect contrast with the behaviour 
of Nabal—her suppliant posture—the respectful term 
she chooses, calling him lord —the appropriation of her 
husband’s fault to herself—the apology she offers for him, 
by representing his conduct as resulting rather from a 
momentary impulse than any settled malignity, as the 
general failing of his nature, not the effect of any person¬ 
al malevolence—the ignorance she professes of the re- 
xjuest which David had sent, insinuating that other^vise 
j he would have received a very different return—her ap- 
I parent assurance of success, delicately intimating the hap¬ 
py circumstance of his being restrained from shedding 
\ blood in a momentary fit of passion—her offer of the 
ji: magnificent present she had prepared—her congratula- 

i tion upon his achievements—her confident anticipations 
of his future triumphs, and final establishment in the 
kingdom—her reference to Providence—her suggestion, 

I that it would hereafter prove a source of satisfaction that 
(j he had been prevented from committing an act which, 

. whatever were the provocation, must be painful to re- 
I collect, and which must rather afflict his conscience than 
; grace his laurels—all these topics were well introduced, 
i and urged with a tone of eloquence that proved irresisti¬ 
ble. David takes the present, thanks Abigail for her in¬ 
terposition, and dismisses her, with the assurance that 
i he had “ hearkened to her voice, and accepted her 
person.” 

Upon her return she found Nabal in a state of intoxica- 
' tion, totally disregardful of danger, and ignorant of the 

I ruin from which his prudent wife had procured his de¬ 
liverance. Thus do multitudes sport upon the brink of 







£64 female SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHi'. 

everlasting destruction, heedless of the justice they have 
provoked, and solicitous only of consuming those hours, 
and days, and years, in indulgence, which ought to be 
devoted to repentance. Let the “ lovers of pleasure” 
reflect on three short maxims, “ He that will not fear, 
shall feel, the wrath of Heaven—He that lives in the 
kingdom of Sense shall die in the kingdom of Sorrow —He 
shall never truly enjoy his present hour who never thinks 
on his 

Abigail properly resolved to defer any conversation 
with Nabal till the morning, when she disclosed the 
whole affair. The surprise was so great that “ his heart 
died within him, and he became as a stone.” Ten days 
afterward he was smitten by the hand of God, and de¬ 
scended without honour into the grave. No one could 
esteem him while living, and no one regretted him when 
dead. 

The news of this event having been conveyed to Da¬ 
vid, he expressed his grateful sense of the divine good¬ 
ness in keeping him from the execution of his rash pro¬ 
ject, and in thus vindicating his cause by a signal inter¬ 
ference. As he had been deeply impressed with the per¬ 
sonal charms and good understanding of Abigail, and as 
no obstacle seemed to exist to prevent their union, he 
took the first opportunity of proposing to marry her ; to 
which, with becoming expressions of humility and mo¬ 
desty, she consented. 

“ It was a fair suit,” says Bishop Hall, “ to change a 
David for a Nabal; to become David’s queen, instead of 
Nabal’s drudge ! She, that learned humility under so hard 
a tutor, abaseth herself no less when David offers to ad¬ 
vance her; ‘ Let thine handmaid be a servant to wash 
the feet of the servants of my lord.’ None are so fit to 
be great as those that can stoop lowest. How could Da¬ 
vid be more happy in a wife ? He finds at once piety, 
wisdom, humility, faithfulness, wealch, beauty. How 


* Young’s Centaur, p. 119. 


ABIGAIL. 


£65 


could Abigail be more happy in a husband, than in the 
prophet, the champion, the anointed of God ? Those mar¬ 
riages are well made, wherein virtues are matched and 
happiness is mutual.” 





THE (iUEE^ OF SHEBA. 
CHAPTER XII. 


David’s anxiety for his son—-its happy issue—Solomon’s prayer, and the 
answer of God Solomon’s riches and fame—the queen of Sheba’s visit— 
her country ascertained—such solicitude for wisdom not common—she 
proves Solomon with hard questions—her desire of knowledge worthy of 
imitation Solomon’s conduct—his buildings—the queen’s congratulato¬ 
ry address—-reflections—her presents to Solomon, and his to the queen of 
Sheba—Christ’s application of the subject. 


TPhE pious solicitude of David, the king of Israel, in 
his last hours, for his son and successor, is thus recorded 
in the closing chapter of the first book of Chronicles: 
“ Give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep 
thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes.” 
With this prayer he connected suitable and impressive 
advice, “ Thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of 
thy fiither, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a 
willing mind ; for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and un- 
derstandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou 
seek him, he will be found of thee ; but if thou forsake 
him, he will cast thee off for ever.” 


Parental piety does not always influence, as it ought 
tliose who by their domestic privileges are most favoura¬ 
bly situated for witnessing it: to all human appearance, 
e language of kind remonstrance or entreaty has been 
often useless, the petitions of fervent desire have failed 
and the tears of pure atfection have flowed in vain. The 
present instance, however, furnishes a pleasing exception 
to this remark; for upon Solomon’s accession to the 
throne, he appointed a solemn festival at Gibeon before 

the God of Israel desired that he would ask what he 
S lould bestow upon him, he presented a petition, no less 
distinguished by its singularity in such circumstances. 


^UEEN OF SHEBA. 


267 


than by its excellence and its success. “ And Solomon 
said unto God, Thou hast showed great mercy unto Da- 
rid my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead. 
Now, O Lord God, let thy promise unto David my father 
be established ; for thou hast made me king over a peo¬ 
ple like the dust of the earth in multitude. Give me 
now WISDOM and knowledge, that I may go out and come 
in before this people ; for who can judge this thy people 
that is so great ? And God said to Solomon, Because this 
was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, 
or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast 
^ asked long life ; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge, 
that thou mayest judge my people over whom I have 
! made thee king; wisdom and knowledge is granted 
k UNTO THEE ; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, 
i and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have 
i been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have 
i the like.^’* 

The inspired description of Solomon’s magnificence 
1 may justly excite astonishment—a magnificence which 
j extended to “ all his drinking-vessels, which were of 
< gold; and all the vessels of the house of the forest of 
J Lebanon were of pure gold ; none were of silver : it was 
f nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.”! It is 
5 natural to imagine, that the fame of so remarkable a 
^ prince, concurring with the comparative ease with which 
^ gold and silver were procurable, would contribute to es- 
i tablish that taste for splendour which has ever distinguish- 
•i ed the potentates of the East. It is stated by Sir J. Char- 
|i din, that the plate of the king of Persia is of pure gold, 
i originally made by Shah Abbas, the most glorious of the 
i princes of the Sefi royal family ; who, for this purpose, 
1 melted seven thousand two hundred marks, or nearly 
( thirty-six thousand English troy ounces of the purest gold. 
But Solomon, according to the testimony of Scripture, 
tvas the most opulent prince that ever sat upon a throne. 
His annual revenues were six hundred and sixty-six 
I * 2 Chron. i. 8—12. f 1 Kings x, 21, 

! 

I, 



2.68 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

talents of gold, exclusire of the supply he received from 
the customs and from tributary nations. A talent weighed 
three thousand shekels, and a shekel two hundred and 
nineteen grains. The king employed a navy, which, with 
the assistance of Tyrian vessels and navigators, who were 
esteemed the most skilful in the world, fetched gold and 
silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks, from Ophir, by the way 
of the Red Sea. This voyage occupied three years. 

In comparing the extremes of human society, the riches 
of a Solomon with the poverty of a Bartimeus, it becomes 
us to recognize tiie hand of a mysterious though wise 
Providence. He who fixed the stars of the firmament in 
their proper places, determines, independently of all 
human control, the orders of society and the sphere of 
the individual; and it is no less consolatory than obvious,, 
that the equitable rule by w'hich a final judgment of our 
character is to be determined, will measure the extent of 
our responsibility, by an impartial estimate of our situa¬ 
tion. our opportunities, and our respective talents. 

Attracted by the celebrity of Solomon, the Q,ueen of 
Sheba came to Jerusalem, with a train and presents suited 
to his dignity and her own. Although the sovereigns of 
neighbouring nations paid similar visits of ceremony and 
of curiosity, yet this illustrious woman is particularly 
noticed in the sacred page, on account perhaps of her sex, 
her inquisitiveness, the remoteness of her situation, the 
magnificence of her equipage and offerings; but espe¬ 
cially the piety of her views, and the impressive language 
of her devout admiration. 

The date of this interview with the king of Israel may 
be referred, with sufficient accuracy, to the year of the 
world three thousand and twelve, or nine hundred and 
ninety-two before the Christian era. This was subse¬ 
quent to the completion of the temple and of the royal 
houses. A variety of opinions have prevailed respecting 
the kingdom of Sheba ; and some have supposed, though 
without sufficient reason, that tliis is the name of the queen 
herself, and not of her country or capital. The proba- 


QUEEN OF SHEDA. 


2G9 


bility is, that Sheba^ situated in the southern part of Arabia 
Felix, and on the eastern coast of the Red Sea, is intended. 
Moses speaks of Sheba, the son of Joktan, a descendant 
of Eber, and more remotely of Shem ; and ancient authors 
represent his descendants, the Saheans, as peopling this 
district of Arabia, the metropolis of whose kingdom was 
denominated Sheba or Saba. It appears from authentic 
testimony, that they were accustomed to female govern¬ 
ment ; and Bochart proves, by numerous citations, that 
the kingdom of Sheba was called by the Jews the country 
of the Southy which explains the phraseology of our Lord 
in the twelfth chapter of Matthew. The geographical ac¬ 
curacy of this statement is further corroborated, by com¬ 
paring the description which the inspired historian records 
of the gifts presented by this queen to Solomon,^ with 
(he language of Pliny and Herodotus: the former of 
whom says, “ that odoriferous woods were in use only in 
this country, and that the Sabeans consumed them in 
dressing their food and the latter, “ that the Arabians 
took a thousand talents of frankincense every year to 
Darius.” We deem it proper to avoid involving our 
selves in a labyrinth of geographical difficulties, and have 
therefore simply stated the result of our inquiries ; which 
however may furnish us with, at least, one serious reflec¬ 
tion. How transitory and how contemptible is human 
glory! It is not peculiar to the poor and the destitute to 
be forgotten, to have their dwellings and their name perish 
amidst the desolations of time ; such is nearly the fate of 
one of the most remarkable sovereigns of antiquity, whose 
visit to the greatest potentate of the eastern world is so 
celebrated in Scripture. What mean our trifling cares— 
our incessant solicitude about temporal possessions and 
worldly distinctions f The house we now inhabit will soon 
be demolished and swept away by the flood of time—the 
name by which we are distinguished, and the annals of 
car short period of temporal existence, will soon be 


* J Kings X. 2. 

Z 2 


270 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

scarcely remembered by our successor—all our glory 
will be covered with the darkness of death ! Shall we not, 
therefore, aim to secure an incorruptible inheritance in 
the skies, and an unhiding pre-eminence in the records of 
eternity ? “ The righteous shall be had in everlasting re¬ 
membrance.’' 

The design of the queen of Sheba, in repairing to 
Jerusalem, was not merely to pay a visit of ceremony. 
She “ heard of his fame concerning the name of the 
Lord,” and “ she came to prove him with hard questions.” 
The report, not only of the riches, splendour, and wis¬ 
dom of Solomon, but also of the miraculous interferences 
of the God of Israel on behalf of his people, and of his 
peculiar favour to this monarch, had reached the distant 
residence of this Arabian queen ; and so deep was the 
interest it excited in her bosom, that she determined to 
undertake a journey, long and hazardous as it might be, 
for the sake of investigating these extraordinary facts. 
It is evident she attached a considerable degree of credi¬ 
bility to the representations she had received ; and rely¬ 
ing no longer upon subordinate means of information, she 
resolved upon a course of diligent inquiry. When and 
where shall we discover a similar zeal to acquire a know¬ 
ledge of “ the glorious Gospel of the blessed God ?” How 
often have Christian ministers occasion to adopt the pro¬ 
phetic strain, “ Who hath believed our report, and to 
whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ?” How often do 
all the personal excellencies, the moral glories of him who 
is described as “ a greater than Solomon,” fail to attract 
mankind ? - atisfied with mere report—few appiv to the 
sacred Scriptures as the immediate and purest means of 
instruction in “ the truth as it is in Jesus,” after the loqg- 
recorded example of the ancient Bereans, who “ received 
the word (of Paul and Silas) with all readiness of mind, 
and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things 
were so.”* 


^ Acts xvii. 11, 


QUEEN OF SHEBA. 


27 r 

Bishop Hall very pertinently remarks, “ No doubt 
many, from all coasts, came to learn and wonder, none 
with so much note as this noble daughter of Cham ; who 
herself deserves the next wonder to him whom she came 
to hear and admire : that a woman, a princess, a rich and 
great queen, should travel from the remotest south, from 
; Sheba, a region famous for the greatest delicacies of na¬ 
ture, to learn wisdom, is a matchless example. We know 
merchants that venture to either Indies for wealth; 

I others we know daily to cross the seas for wanton curio¬ 
sity ; some few philosophers we have known to have 
gone far for learning ; and among princes, it is no unusual 
thing to send their ambassadors to far distant kingdoms, 
for transaction of businesses either of state or commerce : 
I but that a royal lady should in person undertake and over- 
I come so tedious a journey, only to observe and inquire 

S into the mysteries of nature, art, religion, is a thing past 

^ both parallel and imitation. Why do we think any labour 

I great, or any way long, to hear a greater than Solomon ? 

1 How justly shall the queen of the South rise up in judg¬ 
ment, and condemn us, who may hear wisdom crying in 
our streets, and neglect her ?” 

Among princely cares, the ardent search of truth can 
seldom be enumerated, though it be a most honourable 
and beneficial employment. Those whom Providence 
n has placed in an elevated situation are usually too much 
occupied with themselves, their pleasures, their pomp, 
and their ambitious projects, to listen to the dictates, or 
to search out the mysteries of wisdom. The concerns 
of an extensive empire furnish a plausible pretext for 
neglecting the great interests of piety, which a deceived 
heart is ready to plead in extenuation of a conduct con¬ 
demned alike by reason, conscience, and revelation. But 
let the rulers of nations observe David, Solomon, and 
others of the kings of Israel; the splendour of whose 
earthly glory was eclipsed by the superior brightness of 
their heavenly wisdom; and whose names are written 
upon the sacred page, not so much because they were 






272 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

men of rank, as because they were men of God. The 
command of Jesus Christ is of prime, importance and of 
universal obligation, “ Seek first the kingdom of God 
and his righteousness and unless it can be demonstrated 
that he has made one code of laws for the prince and 
another for the peasant, or that his precepts possess an 
accommodating flexibility suited to the prejudices and 
passions of mankind, no exception can be for a moment 
admitted. As there is no royal road to the heights of 
human science, but all who attain them must ascend by 
assiduous and persevering application, so there is none 
to the summit of celestial felicity ; but persons of every 
class, rank, sex, and age, must follow Christ in the same 
unsmoothed path of repentance and self-denial. Hence, 
such is the bewitching influence of worldly splendour, so 
numerous and so powerful the attractions of opulence, 
that we have daily and hourly proofs of the apostle’s 
statement: “ Not many wise men after the flesh, not 
many mighty, not many noble, are called ; but God hath 
chosen the w^eak things of the world, to confound the 
things which are mighty ; and base things of the world, 
and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, 
and things which are not, to bring to nought things that 
are; that no flesh should glory in his presence.”^ But 
happily the long scroll of history is here and there em¬ 
bellished with a name, which combines the glory that 
confers pre-eminence in the present world, with the grace 
that secures everlasting distinction in the next. 

This celebrated princess is said to have Y<^ars before 
visited Solomon, “to prove him with hard Christ,about 
questions,” by which have generally been un- 
derstood enigmatical puzzles. Some of these are to be 
found in sacred writ, of which the riddle which Samson 
proposed to the young men of Timnath,t is a very ancient 
and curious specimen. It appears from the writings of 
the ancients, that the Greeks and all the Eastern nations, 


♦ 1 Cor. i. 26—29. 


f Judg-. xiv. 


(^UEEN OF SHEBA. 


273 


were singularly attached to enigmas. Plutarch, in his 
Feast of the Seven Sages, introduces the following ques¬ 
tions proposed by Amasis, the king of Egypt, to the king 
of Ethiopia : “ What is the most ancient thing—what the 
I most beautiful—what the largest—what the wisest—what 

’ the most common—what the most useful—what the most 
I hurtful—what the strongest—and what the most easy ?” 

To which the king of Ethiopia replied, “ The most an¬ 
cient thing is time—the most beautiful is light—the largest 
is the world—the wisest is truth—the most common is 
death—the most useful is God—the most hurtful is the 
devil—the strongest is fortune—and the most easy, to 
follow one’s own inclination.” In the book of Proverbs, 
we find several series of this description, which origin¬ 
ally might have been answers to questions of a similar 
p nature. Among others, we have this very curious and 
\ beautiful statement : “ There be four things which are 
t little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise; 
^ the ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their 
I meat in the summer ; the conies are but a feeble folk, 
I yet make they their houses in the rocks ; the locusts 
t have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; 
the spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ 
palaces.”^ To the same class may be referred the 
following paragraph in the third chapter of Ecclesiastes : 
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every 
purpose under the heaven : a time to be born, and a 
time to die ; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that 
which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a 
I time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to 
weep, and a time to laugh ; a time to mourn, and a time 
to dance ; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather 
1 stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain 
I from embracing; a time to g^t, and a time to lose; a 
; time to keep, and a time to cast away ; a time to rend, 
I and a time to sew ; a time to keep silence, and a time to 


« Prov. XXX. 24—28. 







3?74 FEMALE. SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

speak ; a time to love, and a time to hate ; a time of war, 
and a time of peace.” 

Enigmatical questions and answers may easily degene¬ 
rate into mere childish amusement; but it is due to the 
celebrity of the queen of Sheba, to suppose that her in¬ 
quiries were principally directed to the great purpose of 
information. She was indeed curious to -prove Solomon, to 
ascertain whether his reputation for wisdom were the re¬ 
sult of mere cdurlly panegyric and flattering report, or 
whether it really originated in a supernatural endowment— 
but still more anxious to acquire knowledge “ concerning 
the name of the Lord.” While, therefore, she discovered 
a laudable desire of information upon subjects connected 
with the improvment of her mind, in general knowledge, 
and in political wisdom ; she aspired after a more intimate 
acqu-^intance with that heavenly truth, which had hitherto 
been almost exclusively communicated to the descendants 
of Abraham. In this she may be exhibited as a pattern 
for the particular imitation of her own sex. No exterior 
accomplishments, no personal attractions can reconcile 
an intelligent observer to an ignorant mind; while such 
an one would be easily persuaded to dispense with exter¬ 
nal beauty, for the sake of mental and moral worth. He 
would prize the jewel, and overlook the inferiority of the 
casket. Curiosity is one of the most powerful princi¬ 
ples of our nature, and may be indulged where it is not 
perverted. Let a woman assiduously cultivate, in early 
life especially, her mental faculties, and cherish an in¬ 
quisitive spirit upon all the subjects of knowledge within • 
the reach of her pursuit, still under the constant regula¬ 
tion of modesty and her sister graces ; and let her never 
for a moment imagine, that knowledge is inimical either to 
her personal happiness and influence, or to her domestic 
duties. So far, indeed, as an intemperate pursuit of 
learning disqualifies a woman for the sphere which Pro¬ 
vidence has allotted her, so far as she is rendered proud, 
pedantic, unsocial, assuming, and negligent of the proper 
business of every day in her family, it is to be dis- 


4UEEN OF SHEBA. 


couraged; not from the consideration that knowledge is 
an evil, but the misuse of it. Its legitimate tendency is 
to improve the female character—to polish off the as¬ 
perities and roughnesses occasionerl by the indulgence 
of pride to teach her the proper duties of her station, 
and the best means of discharging them—to elevate her 
into the interesting and intelligent companion of social 
and domestic life—to constitute her the best instructer 
of her children at that early period when the first bud¬ 
dings of intellect are discernible, th^ first tendencies of 
the mind begin to be developed, and the character for 
time, perhaps for eternity, is to be formed. It is then 
under the hand of maternal tenderness the model of the 
future man or woman is to be made; for it is seldom, 
even in the most unhappy cases of apostacy, that traces 
ol this early formation are by any circumstances totally 
obliterated. 

But while we plead for the cultivation of the youthful 
mind, by a diligent use of all the advantages which are 
afforded to impart knowledge, be it remembered, that the 
“ wisdom which is from above” must not only be sought 
but sought as of paramount importance. With 
all our conscious superiority in other respects, if desti¬ 
tute of the knowledge of “ the only true God, and Jesus 
Christ whom he hath sent,” we shall prove but as “ a 
sounding brass, and as a tinkling cymbal.” Our boasted 
attainments, as enhancing our responsibility, will minister 
to our final condemnation ; and while imagining we have 
been defective in nothing, we shall feel the everlasting 
remorse connected with the conviction of having forgot¬ 
ten or despised the “ one thing needful.”— 

“ *Tis Religion that can give 
Sweetest pleasures while we live; 

’Tis Religion can suppiv 
Choicest coniforts when we die.” 

Solomon conducted himself to the queen of Sheba in 
a manner higlily worthy of his wisdom, and instructive 
to those who are distinguished from others by any natu- 


276 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPUY. 

ral or acquired superiority. He was neither reseived 
nor impatient, but suffered her to “ commune with him 
of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all 
her questions ; there was not any thing hid from the king, 
which he told her not.” It ill becomes those who can 
teach, to be supercilious and uncommunicative. As the 
rich are required to supply the necessities of the poor 
with a judicious liberality, being expressly appointed as 
the trustees of Providence, and dispensers of its bounty; 
and as those who withhold, when it is in the power of 
their hands to give, are unfaithful stewards; so, persons 
qualified to be the instructors of others, or who assume 
a station which presupposes such a qualification, ought 
to exert their talents and employ their time for the 
benefit of the uninformed. Is not this a lesson for the 
ministers of the sanctuary ? For what purpose is “ heav¬ 
enly treasure” committed to “ earthen vessels ?” Is it 
not for distribution ? Are they not made rich in spiritual 
gifts, graces, and knowledge, that, instead of monopolizing 
their spiritual possessions, they may aim to supply and 
enrich an impoverished world? The true ministerifil 
spirit breathes in the language of Peter to the lame man, 
who was laid daily at the gate of the temple, “ Silver 
and gold have 1 none, hut such as I have give I thee; in 
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and 
walk.”* 

Every thing her eyes beheld at Jerusalem produced, 
in the queen of Sheba, surprise and admiration. Ac¬ 
customed as all the eastern nations were to splendour, 
she had never before witnessed such an universal and 
surpassing magnificence. Solomon’s wisdom—his house 
—his luxurious table—his servants—his ministers —the 
temple, and the devotional manner of his attendance 
upon its services, struck her with overwhelming aston¬ 
ishment. When she had seen all these, “ there was no 
more spirit in her.”t 


Acts iii. 6. 


f 1 Kings K. 5. 


^UEEN OF SMEBA, 


277 


It is easy to imagine that the temple, a structure 
which has been admired in every age for its unpa¬ 
ralleled glory, and for which such minute directions were 
I given by Jehovah himself, must have attracted particular 
1 notice ; espooiaily ^hen it is considered, that thp science 
I of architecture was, at that period, in a very infantine 
1 state, compared to its subsequent progress amongst the 
j Greeks and Romans, and that temples were a species of 
J building probably unknown to the queen of Sheba. It 
I is notorious that the Persians, who worshipped the sun, 
erected no temple, from a persuasion it would be dero¬ 
gatory to his glory who had the whole world for his habi¬ 
tation ; and hence the magi exhorted Xerxes to destroy all 
the temples in his expedition to Greece. The Bithynians 
i worshipped on the mountains, the ancient Germans in 
J the woods ; and Diogenes, Zeno, and the Stoics, ex- 
n pressly condemned the erection of such edifices. The 
) Arabians rendered homage to the sun, stars, and . 
i planets ; and their religion resembled the ancient Chal- 
|| dean superstition. The illustrious visiter of Solomon 
I must, therefore, have been confounded at an architectural 
I magnificence so superior tO any thing she had ever 

1 before witnessed. 

The inspired historian also mentions the house of the 
forest of Lebanon ;• his own palace, which occupied 
thirteen years in building ; a house for Pharaoh’s daugh- 
t ter whom he married; with other expensive erections. 

“ All these were of costly stones, 'according to the 
measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws,) within and 
without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and 
so on the outside towards the great court. And the foun¬ 
dation was of costly stones, even great stones; stones of 
ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits. And above were 
costly stones, (after the measures of hewed stones) and 
cedars.”* 

Josephus gives the following amplified description of 
these buildings : “ This house (the king’s palace) was a 

** 1 Kings vii. 9 — 11. 

VoL. I. A a 







278 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


large and curious building, and was supported by many 
pillars, which Solomon built to contain a multitude fdr 
hearing causes, and taking cognizance of suits. It was 
sufficiently capacious to contain a great body of men, who 
would come together to have their c.ancoo Jetermmed. 
It was a hundred rnbito long, and fifty broad, and thirty 
high, supported by quadrangular pillars, which were all 
of cedar, but its roof was according to the Corinthian 
order, with folding doors, and their adjoining pillars of 
equal magnitude, each fluted with three cavities ; which 
building was at once firm and very ornamental. There 
was also another house so ordered, that its entire breadth 
was placed in the middle ; it was quadrangular, and its 
breadth was thirty cubits, having a temple over against 
it, raised upon massy pillars ; in which temple there was 
a large and very glorious room, wherein the king sat in 
judgment. To this was joined another house, that was 
built for his queen. There were other smaller edifices 
for diet, and for sleep, after public matters were over; 
and these were all floored with boards of cedar. Some 
of these Solomon built with stones of ten cubits, and 
wainscotted the walls with other stones that were sawed, 
and were of great value, such as are dug out of the earth 
for the ornaments of temples, and to make fine prospects 
in royal palaces, and which make the mines whence they 
are dug famous. Now the contexture of the curious work¬ 
manship of these stones was in three rows, but the fourth 
row would make one admire its sculptures, whereby 
were represented trees, and all sorts of plants, with the 
shades that arose from their branches, and leaves that 
hung down from them. Those trees and plants covered 
the stone that was beneath them, and their leaves were 
wrought so prodigiously thin and subtile, that you would 
think they were in motion : but the other part up to the 
roof was plastered over, and, as it were, embroidered 
with colours and pictures. He moreover built othet 
edifices for pleasure ; as also very long cloisters, and 
rtiose situate in an agreeable place of the palace : and 


^UEEN OF SHEBA. 


279 


among them a most glorious dining-room, for feastings and 
compotations, and full of gold, and such other furniture 
as so fine a room ought to have for the conveniency of 
the guests, and where all the vessels were made of gold. 

I Now it is very hard to reckon up the magnitude and the 
variety of the royal apartments ; how many rooms there 
j were of the largest sort; how many of a bigness inferior 
‘ to those ; and how many that were subterraneous and 
invisible ; the curiosity of those that enjoyed the fresh 
I air ; and the groves for the most delightful prospect, for 
I the avoiding the heat, and covering of their bodies. And 
to say all in brief, Solomon made the whole building en- 

I tirely of white stone, and cedar wood, and gold, and sil¬ 
ver. He also adorned the roofs and walls with stones set 
in gold, and beautified them thereby in the same manner 
as he had beautified the temple of God with the like 
/ stones. He also made himself a throne of prodigious 
I bigness, of ivory, constructed as a seat of justice, and 
r. having six steps to it; on every one of which stood, on 
I each end of the step, two lions, two other lions standing 
i above also j but at the sitting-place of the throne, hands 
i came out, and received the king ; and when he sat back- 
:t ward, he rested on half a bullock, that looked towards 
f his back, but still all was fastened together with gold.”^’ 
I If human happiness were uniformly proportionate to 
5 the degree of elevation in the scale of society, and the 
extent of worldly riches, some plausible pretence might 
i be framed for that eager ambition which characterizes so 

[ large a part of mankind ; but, if Solomon may be con¬ 
gratulated as remarkably happy, this arose not from his 
being unusually rich, but pre-eminently wise. In vain 
does any one expect substantial enjoyment, who despises 
or neglects religion ; while he who possesses it can 
never be miserable. “ Having nothing, he yet possess- 
es all things.” If it be not our condition, but the state 
1 of our mind, that constitutes the blessedness of life, ex¬ 
terior circumstances can neither confer nor deprive us 

* Josephus, Bookviii. ch. 5. 




280 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


of real peace. The “ contentment” which “godlinessv 
imparts, is “ great gain because it renders its possess¬ 
or, in a high degree, independent of the vicissitudes that 
agitate this terrestrial scene, raises him above the tem¬ 
pests of this transitory state of existence to a higher 
sphere, and admits him into the very precincts of heaven. 
If Solomon had been endowed with wealthy but remained 
destitute of wisdom, we should have looked down upon 
his earthly splendour as a fading dream, or as the tinsel 
decoration of a littleness which, by this means, became 
the more contemptible ; had he been possessed of wis¬ 
dom without wealth, we should still have regarded him 
as the first of our species, and rich in all the requisites 
of real felicity. 

Having recovered from the ecstasy which the first 
impression of Solomon’s wisdom and magnificence pro¬ 
duced, the queen of Sheba said to the king, “ It was a 
true report, that I heard in mine own land of thy acts 
and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, 
until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and, behold, 
the half was not told me ; thy wisdom and prosperity ex- 
ceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, 
happy are these thy servants which stand continually be¬ 
fore thee, and that hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the 
Lord thy God which delighteth in thee'to set thee on the 
throne of Israel; because the Lord loved Israel for 
ever, therefore made he thee king to do judgment and 
justice.” 

Many reflections occur upon reading this noble pane¬ 
gyric. Nothing is so conducive to the true glory of a 
monarch, and the real interests of his people, as an entire 
self-devotement to the proper business of government. 
He who avoids the splendid course of ambition, to cul¬ 
tivate the arts of peace, and to promote, by judicious re¬ 
gulations, the internal welfare of his dominions, may not 
always glitter upon the page of history; but will live in 
the hearts of his people, and be embalmed in their grate¬ 
ful recollections. He will have the satisfaction, whe» 


^VEEN OF SHEBA- 


S81 


^commanded by Providence to lay aside his crown, to " 
leave to his subjects what is infinitely better than extend¬ 
ed empire, an exarnple worthy of their imitation. 

It becomes us to recognize a superintending Provi¬ 
dence in the appointment of rulers to their stations—to 
remember that “ promotion cometh neither from the 
east, nor from the west, nor from the south ; but God is 
judge, he putteth down one, and setteth up another”— 
and that the gift of a good king is a mark of favour, and 
ought to exite a people’s gratitude. It was because “ the 
Lord loved Israel fbr ever,” that Solomon was placed 
upon the throne. Confining our attention solely to second 
causes, and the limited horizon of the political theatre, 
we may frequently perceive nothing but confusion—the 
struggles of ambition—the uproar of passion—the ravings 
of impiety—the clash of arms—the subversion of thrones 
—the desolation of provinces—the flow of human blood 
—and an interminable series of changes, both unexpected 
and mysterious ;—but when the light of Scripture breaks 
upon the dark and troubled scene, it discloses the foot¬ 
steps of Deity walking in the midst of the storm, regulat¬ 
ing all human affairs, and rendering every occurrence sub¬ 
servient to his own omniscient purposes. With these 
discordant elements he is moulding future events, and 
preparing to exhibit to the admiration of the intelligent 
universe, “ a new heaven and a new earth, wherein 
1 dwelleth rigliteousness.” 

Comparing, further, the situation of the servants and 
courtiers of Solomon,, with that of others in Pagan coun¬ 
tries, we cannot help uniting in the congratulations of 
his noble visiter, and remarking the advantage of religious 
connexions in general. Wicked association is the bane 
of human society, and fatally conducive to the confirm¬ 
ation of evil habits and principles, or to the excitement 
of thenL Such persons, therefore, as are connected 
I with the people of God, who have pious parents or 
I friends,. Or who are servants in religious fcunilies, cannot 
I be too grateful to Providence, or too solicitous of impro 

A a 2 




282 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPH 1'. 


ving their advantages. Let them be attentive to the in* 
structions they receive, and anxious to understand and 
join in the devotions which are otfered on the domestic 
altar. 

But this congratulatory strain of the queen of Sheba 
may be applied to the Christian age, and to “ a greater 
than Solomon.” Jesus Christ is “ king in Zion,” and 
happy are his servants which stand continually before 
him to hear his wisdom; happy they who have “ the 
glorious Gospel” in their possession, and, by means of 
the evangelical historians of the New Testament, witness 
the actions and hear the words of this divine Instructor! 
The intelligence that distinguished the king of Israel was 
but a single beam of light from the “ Sun of Righteous¬ 
ness,” by whom all spiritual knowledge is communicated 
to the world—who is the fountain of all wisdom, and 
whose glory will for ever irradiate and beatify a redeem¬ 
ed universe. When believers ascend above this inferior 
state of existence into the presence of God and the Lamb, 
notwithstanding all the communications of inspired pen¬ 
men in the sacred page—owing to the imperfection of 
human language, and the circumstances of man, which, in 
some cases, render further instructions impossible, in 
others improper —such will be their discoveries of the 
glory of Jesus Christ, that the language of the queen of 
Sheba will prove peculiarly descriptive of their feelings, 
“ behold, the half was not told me.” And even here ex¬ 
perienced piety exclaims, “ whom having not seen we 
love ; in whom, though now we see him not, yet believ¬ 
ing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of 

GLORY.” 

The queen of Sheba did not return to her country till 
she had given Solomon a hundred and twenty talents of 
gold, besides a great quantity of spices and precious 
stones ; a present, for which the king made suitable ac¬ 
knowledgments, by giving her “ all her desire ; whatso¬ 
ever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of 
his royal bounty.” Harmer remarks, “ this appears 


^UEEN OF SHEBA. 


288 


Strange to us ; but is perfectly agreeable to modern 
Eastern usages, which are allowed to be derived from 
remote antiquity. 

“ A reciprocal giving and receiving royal gifts has 
nothing in it strange ; but the supposition of the sacred 
historian, that this Arabian queen asked for some things 
she saw in the possession of king Solomon, is what sur¬ 
prises us. However, the practice is very common to 
this day in the East—it is not there looked upon as any 
degradation to dignity, or any mark of rapacious meanness. 

“ Irwin’s publication* affords many instances of such 
a custom, among very considerable people, both in Ara¬ 
bia and Egypt, though not equal in power to the queen 
I that visited king Solomon. They demanded from time 
to time, such things as they saw, and which happened to 
! please them : arms, vestments, &.c. What the things were 
I that so struck the queen of Sheba, as that she asked for 
‘ them, and which Solomon did not before apprehend would 
< be particularly pleasing to her, the sacred historian has 
i not told us, nor can we pretend to guess. 

* “ Many other travellers have mentioned this custom, 

5 and shown that the great people of that country not only 
\ expect presents, but will directly, and without circumlo- 
^ cutions, ask for what lb<^y have a mind to have, and ex- 

t pect that their requisitions should be readily complied 
with; while, with us, it would be looked on as extreme- 
i ly mean, and very degrading to an exalted character.”! 
This reciprocation of presents may be considered as 
illustrative of that homage which it becomes every heart 
to render to the Son of God, and of those divine commu¬ 
nications of grace with which he will ever enrich the be¬ 
liever. We cannot indeed enhance his glory by the most 
! splendid liberalities, or the most costly offerings ; but he 
i solemnly requires, and graciously deigns to accept our 
j penitence and our obedience. “ I’he sacrifices of God 
j are a broken spirit,; a broken and a contrite heart, O 

# Voyage up the Red Sea, and Route through the Deserts of Thebais. 

! i Habmeh’s Observations, vol. iv. p. 192, 193. 

' 


I 






S84 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPflY^ 

God, thou wilt not despise.”* Whatever be the present 
-State of the world, it is pleasing to reflect that an omnipo¬ 
tent Providence is hastening the triumphs of Christ; and 
to this wise and glorious King of Israel, all the tribes of 
the earth shall ultimately present their best ofierings and 
their united afiections. “ The kings of Tarshish and of 
the Isles, shall bring presents ; the kings of Sheba and 
Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before 
him ; all nations shall serve him.”t 

But what shall be said to those who refuse submission 
to the authority of Jesus Christ, and reject the blessings 
of his salvation ? How pungent was his address to the 
Jewish nation, and how applicable to such characters in 
the present age ! “ The queen of the south shall rise up; 
in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn 
it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to 
hear the wisdom of Solomon ; and behold, a greater than 
Solomon is here.”| The queen of Sheba only had ac¬ 
cess to the wisdom of Solomon —but you have access to 
the wisdom of Christ —she came from a very distant re¬ 
gion —but “ the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and 
in thy heart; that is, the word of faith which we preach”§ 

—she came uninvited, and upon the hazard of a favour^ 
able reception—^but you are requested and urged to come 
to Jesus, and partake of the provisions which cover the 
well-spread table of his grace. His supplies are spiritual, 
and therefore invaluable. He does not promise gold, but 
he dispenses “ grace and glory.”—He confers not the « 
fading honours and transient distinctions of this life, but 
the joys of salvation, the blessedness of heaven, the riches 
of ETERNITY !- 

» Pa. li. 17. + Ps. Ixxii. 10,11. Mat. xii. 42, 

$ Rom. X. 8. 


THE SHUMMMITE. 

CHAPTER XIII.—SECTION I. 


Characteristic difference between profane and sacred history—the Shunam- 
mite introduced'—her hospitality—proposes to her husband to accommo¬ 
date Elisha with a chamber—the gratitude manifested by the prophet in 
offering to speak for her to the king—her reply expressive of contentment 
—various considerations calculated to promote this disposition—advanta¬ 
ges of a daily and deep impression of the transitory nature of our posses¬ 
sions, and of keeping another life in view. 


How strikingly different is the course of profane and 
sacred history! The former, searching out the most 
prominent characters that figure upon the stfige of life, 
exhibits them in pompous language, and, by emblazoning 
their actions with the lustre of high-wrought description 
and extravagant panegyric, conceals from view those 
i moral blemishes which a nearer inspection, through the 


r 

[ 


medium of a more dispassionate narrative, would discover 
in all their enormity. Hence the Alexanders and Caesars 
of the world, whose mighty ambition, in marching to take 
possession of unoffending empires, has trampled on the 
rights of man, the fruits of industry, and the comforts of 
domestic life, ahd whose laurels are died with the blood 
of humanity, have nevertheless had their names trans¬ 
mitted with loud applause from age to age. High station, 
noble birth, great talents, or marvellous exploits, though 
associated with daring crime, constitute a suthcient pass¬ 
port to the historic page, which too often extols where it 
ought to censure ; and instructs us to venerate a name 
which should rather be execrated. 

Sacred history pursues a different course. It records, 
indeed, the actions of the unworthy as well as of the pi¬ 
ous ; not that we should be roused to rapturous admira¬ 
tion of their achievements, but, by tracing the dreadful 
outline of their characters, and the fatal consequences of 








'286 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


their guilt, be incited to avoid their vices. In general, 
those individuals whom civil history overlooks, are found 
in the inspired records, while “ the mighty” and “ the 
noble” remain unnoticed. Some few instances, indeed, 
of the lives of great men, in point of station and rank, 
furnish exceptions to this observation ; but they are in¬ 
troduced, not because they were great, but because they 
were pious ; or, if impious, because they stood connected 
with the church of God. Scripture does not so much 
furnish the history of the world as the history of the 
church and of human nature. It aims to instruct, not to 
amuse or astonish ; and that, by the exhibition of charac¬ 
ters remarkable in any respect for their efforts to oppose 
or to promote the purposes of eternal wisdom, or for 
the exhibition, in a private sphere, of those principles, 
the knowledge of whose diversified operations might 
prove useful to posterity. 

Shunem, or Sunam, a city of the tribe of Issachar, 
would have been scarcely noticed or known but for the 
Ff sidence of an opulent female, who is herself rendered 
for ever illustrious in consequence of her Years before 
friendship for the prophet Elisha and' the Christ, about 
eminence of her religion: but, though “ a 
great woman,” her name is omitted in the narrative—of 
so little importance are those distinctions upon which 
mankind value themselves so highly! She is simply de¬ 
signated the Shunammite, after the name of her city. 

The inspired narrator notices, in the first place, the 
warmth of her hospitality, and its unabating continuance 
to Elisha. On a certain occasion, when he went to Shu¬ 
nem, she urged him to visit her, which issued in such a 
mutual esteem, that “ as oft as he passed by, he turned in 
thither to eat bread.” Among the ancients, and in a 
simple state of society, where the accommodations of 
modern travelling were unknown, the entertainment of 
strangers was considered as one of the first of duties. 
In all the Arab villages this necessary practice prevails. 
The sheikh, or principal person, generally invites stran- 


THE SHUNAMMITE. 


287 


gers to his house, furnishes them with eggs, butter, curds, 
huuey, olives, and fruic, when there is not sufficient time 
to dress meat; and, if they choose to remain during the 
night, they are treated with the utmost kindness. The 
Arabs value themselves highly upon their hospitality. 
“ How often,” says one of their poets, “ when echo 
gave me notice of a stranger’s approach, have I stirred 
my fire that it might give a clear blaze. I flew to him as 
to a prey, through fear that my neighbours should get 
possession of him before me.”* 

The Scriptures furnish many examples of this duty. 
Abraham, in entertaining three strangers, is said to have 
“ entertained angels unawares ;” Lot received two angels 
into his house, who appeared as strangers in the streets 
of Sodom : Job affirms of himself, “ The stranger did 
not lodge in the street; I opened my doors to the tra¬ 
veller;” a good widow, in the apostolic age, is described 
as washing the saints’ feet, relieving the afflicted, and 
lodging strangers; and Gaius is represented as receiving 
Christian ministers into his house as his own children.”! 

Although a considerable difference of circumstances 
exists in more civilized countries, and in this age, so as 
to render such an extensive hospitality impossible, as 
well as in many cases unsafe ; yet no change of custom 
and no lapse of time can preclude the duty itself, or di¬ 
minish the force of the apostolic admonition, “ be not 
forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have 
entertained angels unawares.If an indiscriminate ad¬ 
mission of strangers into the domestic circle might, in 
our case, be productive of great inconveniences, benevo¬ 
lence requires that those acts of kindness should be 
shown to others which comport with our means and op¬ 
portunities, and that we should aim at such moderation in 
our usual expenditure as shall enable us to discharge the 

* From the Arabian Anthologia, quoted by Schultens. 

f Gen. Kviii. 1, &c. Gen. xix. 1. Job xxxi. 32. 1 Tim. v. 

3 John 5. 

t Heb. xiii. 2. 


' FEMALE SCRIPTURE filOGRAPHY 

obligations of Christian charity. How, otherwise, cau 
we “ do unto others as we would iljat others snouid do 
unto us ?” The wheel of Providence is perpetually re¬ 
volving, and who knows but that he who is now at the 
summit of wordly prosperity, or in the full enjoyment of 
an easy competence, may soon be brought down to the 
level of the needy ; and, though he may be in a condi¬ 
tion to confer kindness to-day, may have to solicit it to¬ 
morrow ? Who can be insensible to the privilege of the 
Saviour’s final benediction, “ Come, ye blessed of my 
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the 
foundation of the world : for I was an hungered, and ye 
gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink ; I 
- was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed 
me ; 1 was sick, and ye visited me ; I was in prison, and 
ye came unto me.”* 

The Shunammite did not entertain a stranger merely, 
but a prophet; and, from the conversation of Elisha, 
doubtless derived that spiritual edification which induced 
her to solicit his future friendship. Others came, de¬ 
parted, and were forgotten; but religion in each heart 
converted these strangers into friends, and cemented a 
holy union, which neither time, nor change, nor death 
could dissolve. 

It is to be lamented, that the converse even of holy 
men in Christian families is not always tinged with that 
piety which renders it as “ a sweet savour,” and too 
frequently the ministers of the sanctuary fail to enforce 
the admonitions of the pulpit and fix the sacred impres¬ 
sions of the sabbath by “ a conversation becoming the 
Gospel of Christ.” What fine opportunities do they 
possess of “ winning souls to Christ,” or “ building up 
the saints in their most holy faith,” by the very nature of 
their office, and the extensive private intercourse to 
which it admits them ! It would be well for all to cultivate 
that sort of spiritual adroitness for which some are 


Mat. >;xv. 34—36. 


THE SHUNAMMITE. 


289 


remarkable, who can, with the utmost facility, glide from 
general topics of discourse to religious communications, 
which are so piously, and yet so delicately managed, 
that the most hostile are in some degree conciliated, and 
even pleased. The apostle of the Gentiles thus exhorts 
Timothy, “ Be thou an example of the believers in word, 
in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”* 

This excellent- Shunammite proposed to her husband 
to accommodate Elisha with a little chamber appropriated 
to his own use, with which he seems readily to have 
complied. This is much to the honour of both ; to the 
one for her proposal, to the other for his compliance. It 
is a happy circumstance where those who have joined 
hands are united in heart, and, avoiding the spirit of domi¬ 
nation, are equally anxious to fulfil the respective duties 
of their domestic character. The ground of her solici¬ 
tation was that of his being “ a holy man of God,” 
which, it is to be feared, would prove a very decisive 
objection to such a measure in many families, who wish to 
conceal their gay and licentious habits from such ob¬ 
servance. 

The suggestion of this pious lady to her husband re¬ 
specting the accommodation of their agreeable visiter, 
may remind us of the duty of women, to avail themselves 
of the opportunities with which Providence favours them 
in married life, to give such useful hints to their husbands 
as their benevolence will naturally dictate. The multi¬ 
plicity of engagements in which the husband is involved, 
in the prosecution of his daily concerns, often precludes 
those thoughts which might issue in plans of public utility 
or more private kindness ; while the wife has leisure for 
this very important purpose. And to the honour of the 
female sex let it be recorded, that the poor and the des¬ 
titute are indebted to the ladies of Britain for originating, 
and in many cases carrying into execution, some of the 
noblest schemes of Christian charity. 


VoL. 1. 


* 1 Tim. iv. 12, 
B b 


^90 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

Separate buildings, resembling the prophet’s chamber, 
are frequently attached to houses in the East, sometimes 
rising a story higher than the house, at other times con¬ 
sisting of one or two rooms and a terrace ; others are 
built over the porch or gateway, having most of the con¬ 
veniences belonging to the house itself: they communi¬ 
cate by a door into the gallery of the house, which the 
master of the family opens or shuts at his pleasure ; 
besides another door, which opens from a private stair¬ 
case immediately into the porch or street, without giving 
the least disturbance to the house. These back-houses 
are called olee or okah, and in them strangers are usually 
lodged and entertained. The little chamber built by the 
Shunammite for Elisha was probably of this description. 
To this he had free access, without interfering with the 
family, or being interrupted by them in his devotions, and 
from it he might privately retire whenever he pleased.* 

The peculiar simplicity of the furniture in the pro¬ 
phet’s chamber cannot fail of striking attention : it con¬ 
sisted of a bed, a table, a stool, and a candlestick. This 
scanty fitting up of his room is by no means to be attri¬ 
buted to disrespect or negligence ; it is rather to be con¬ 
sidered as characteristic of the simplicity of the times. 
The intention certainly was to accommodate Elisha in a 
manner expressive of reverence and esteem. The ori¬ 
ginal term, unhappily rendered stool in our English ver¬ 
sion, signifies one of the most honourable kind of seats 
usually placed in an apartment, and is sometimes trans¬ 
lated throne. In ancient times, the nations of the East 
were not so universally addicted as they are at present to 
sitting on the ground upon mats or carpets, but accus¬ 
tomed themselves to raised seats or chairs, which were 
sometimes sufficiently elevated to require a footstool. 
The candlestick is likewise to be considered as a mark of 
respect, if not of magnificence, and its particular use was 

* Shaw’s Travels, p. 214— 317, qaoted in Harmer’s Obrervalions, 
yol. i. p. 251. 


THE SHUNAMMITE. 


291 


to keep a light burning the whole night. Dr. Chandler 
mentions a lamp being placed in his room for this pur¬ 
pose in the house of a Jew, who was vice-consul for the 
English nation, at the place where he landed when about 
to visit the ruins of Asia Minor.^ 

In general, however, the prophets chose to live in the 
plainest manner; they built their houses with their own 
hands, and wore a coarse dress of a dark brown colour. 
Instead of availing themselves of the opportunities with 
which they were often presented, of acquiring riches, or 
of frequenting the luxurious tables of the great, they 
sometimes refused the most valuable presents. Of this 
we have a remarkable specimen when Elisha declined 
the gifts of Naaman, and inflicted a dreadful punishment 
upon Gehazi for his contrivance to secure them.j If the 
mean attire and mode of living which distinguished the 
ancient prophets cannot be viewed in the light of an 
authoritative example to future ages, and if something 
may be reasonably conceded to the practices of different 
nations, this may be received as an axiom, that those 
whom Providence has appointed to the sacred office 
ought to avoid all unnecessary show in their appearance, 
and all ambitious aspiring after the vain splendours of 
life ; for “ the fashion of this world passeth away.” On 
the other hand, it is the duty, and should be considered 
as the privilege of pious individuals, to whom Providence 
has dispensed riches or competence, to minister to the 
necessities of the poor servants of God, who, while devo¬ 
ting their lives to promote their spiritual comfort, and 
that of their families, have neither time nor means to res¬ 
cue themselves from a state of dependence and poverty. 
“ If they have been partakers of their spiritual things, 
their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things. 

Elisha was not insensible to all this kindness, but, on 
the contrary, feeling anxious to devise some means of re¬ 
quiting it, he intimated, during one of his visits, his wish 

^ Comp. Hahmer’s Observations, vol. ii. p. 503. 
f 2 Kings V. 26. 4 Rom. xv. 27. 


292 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


to render his hostess any service in his power, and pro¬ 
posed what he thought might be the most acceptable ; 
“ Behold,” said he, “ thou hast been careful for us with 
all this care; what is to be done for thee ? Wouldst thou 
be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host ?” 
It is gratifying to find that Elisha possessed so much in¬ 
fluence at court, and that Jehoram, though an impious 
prince, honoured the man of God. But, perhaps, the 
king of Israel was more influenced in his attachment by 
the miracle which the prophet had lately performed in 
his favour, and the victory he had promised to him and 
his royal friends Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom, than 
by any proper regard to his person or his office.^ 

The answer of this Shunammite to the prophet’s pro¬ 
posal was brief, but expressive ; it indicated a mind full 
of contentment, and actuatpri in all its liberal devices by 
the purest of motives. “ I dwell,” said she, “ among 
mine own people ;” q. d. “ I am satisfied with my lot—I 
am happy in the circle in which I move—I have no wish 
to emerge from obscurity, persuaded that though I or my 
family might gain in point of distinction or wealth by your 
kind interference, we should lose a considerable portion 
of that real comfort which, in our estimation, is better 
than the greatest of earthly possessions.” 

The sentiment of this pious lady is to be distinguished 
from the opinion which has prevailed in some parts of 
the world, that the perfection of religion consists in a to¬ 
tal retirement from the intercourse of life to the cell of 
the monk or the cave of the hermit, and in passing the 
days and nights of existence in mere speculative contem¬ 
plation. That separation from the world which the word 
of God enjoins, is a separation of spirit, a withdrawment 
of the affections from its criminal pursuits and guilty in¬ 
dulgences. It does not interdict all intercourse with man¬ 
kind, or censure a diligent pursuit of business, but incul¬ 
cates purity of character, and teaches us so to act in the 
particular sphere assigned us by the arrangements of 

* 2 Kings iii, 4—)0. 


THE SHUNAMMITE. 


293 


Providence, that “ our good works,” may be “ seen,” 
and our “ light” may “ shine before men.” 

Religion is not an abstract principle, or a mere specu¬ 
lation ; it is operative : God is its source and end, but 
society its proper sphere of action. In circumstances of 
perplexity and trial its real nature is best developed, as 
conquering the irregularity of desire, pacifying the tur¬ 
bulence of passion, purifying all the principles of the 
corrupt heart, and forming men into the future associates 
of angels and “ saints in light.” The Shunammite did not 
retire from her people, her family, or her friends ; but 
“ dwelt amongst them,” exemplifying those virtues which 
adorn domestic and social life, and securing, as we may 
infer from her expressions, that general esteem which 
such exalted goodness is calculated to procure. She dis¬ 
charged scrupulously and zealously the appropriate du¬ 
ties of her situation, and shone in the orbit allotted to her 
by him whose infinite wisdom disposes all the arrange¬ 
ments of the natural and moral worlds, with conspicuous 
brightness and useful influence. 

Moreover, the language in question presents us with 
one of the finest specimens of contentment in the records 
of history. It may be affirmed without hesitation, that 
nothing can secure the exercise of this temper, in the 
present constitution of the human mind, but genuine re¬ 
ligion. In cases where no such principle exists, dissatis¬ 
faction embitters the cup of our earthly portion, and all 
those ambitious feelings which agitate and distress the 
life of man, acquire an uncontrolled ascendency. The 
discourse of Pyrrhus with Gineas is only a transcript of 
the impatient ambition of the generality of mankind. “ If 
it please Heaven that we conquer the Romans,” said the 
philosopher, “ what use, sir^ shall we make of our victo¬ 
ry ?”—“ Cineas,” replied the king, your question an¬ 
swers itself. When the Romans are once subdued, uiere 
is no town, whether Greek or Barbarian, in all the coun¬ 
try, that will dare to oppose us ; but we shall immediate¬ 
ly be masters of all Italy, whose greatness, power, and 


294 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


importance, no man knows better than you.” Cineas, 
after a short pause, continued, “ But after we have con¬ 
quered Italy, what shall we do next, sir ?” Pyrrhus, not 
yet perceiving his drift, replied, “ There is Sicily very 
near, and stretches out her arms to receive us; a fruitful 
and populous island, and easy to be taken : for Agathoc- 
les was no sooner gone, than faction and anarchy prevail¬ 
ed among her cities, and every thing is kept in confusion 
by her turbulent demagogues.”—“ What you say, my 
prince,” said Cineas, “ is very probable ; but is the ta¬ 
king of Sicily to conclude our expeditions ?”—“ Far from 
it,” answered Pyrrhus, “ for if Heaven grant us success 
in this, that success shall only be the prelude to greater 
things. Who can forbear Libya and Carthage, then with¬ 
in reach, which Agathocles, even when he fled in a clan¬ 
destine manner from Syracuse, and crossed the sea with 
a few ships only, had almost made himself master of. 
And when we have made such conquests, who can pre¬ 
tend to say that any of our enemies, who are now so in¬ 
solent, will think of resisting us ?”—“ To be sure,” said 
Cineas, “ they will not; for it is clear that so much 
power will enable you to recover Macedonia, and to es¬ 
tablish yourself uncontested sovereign of Greece. But 
when we have conquered all, what are we to do then ?” 
—“ Why then, my friend,” said Pyrrhus, laughing, “ we 
will take our ease, and drink, and be merry.” Cineas, 
having brought him thus far, replied, “ And what hin¬ 
ders us from drinking and taking our ease now, when we 
have already those things in our hands at which we propose 
to arrive through seas of bloody through infinite toils and 
dangers^ through innumerable calamities, which we must 
both cause and suffer ?'*''* 

One motive to contentment, which probably influenced 
the Shunammite, and which is calculated to inspire a 
similar feeling in every situation, arose from the convic¬ 
tion, that happiness is much more equally diffused than we 
commonly imagine. Whatever may be the diversities of 
^ Plutarch’s Life of Pyrrhus. 


THE SHUNAMMITE. 


295 


human condition, and however preferable the situation of 
some above others may seem, to an inexperienced or care¬ 
less observer, looking only at the exterior of society. 
Providence has so wisely adjusted its various inequalities, 
that it becomes extremely difficult to determine who pos¬ 
sesses the most happy lot. Wherever particular advan¬ 
tages exist, they are balanced by proportionate evils, and 
the reverse : the golden cup often contains a bitter po¬ 
tion, while sweet is the draught, and refreshing the sup¬ 
ply, that is brought in a broken pitcher. The poor are 
apt to suppose, that opulence furnishes an inexhaustible 
fund of enjoyment; and that luxurious tables, sumptuous 
palaces, and a splendid retinue, confer a never-failing 
enjoyment; forgetting that riches create a thousand arti¬ 
ficial wants, a thousand fantastic desires, which it is ut¬ 
terly impossible to supply. The wealthy look with pity 
upon the indigent, as condemned to an irksome and per¬ 
petual drudgery, and destitute of all means of enjoying 
life ; a pity they might well spare, did they know that 
labour sweetens rest, and that an unpampered appetite 
has none of those loathings which luxury superinduces. 
Riches and poverty are not then, according to the mis¬ 
calculations of mankind, terms of synonymous import with 
happiness and misery. The most exalted have many af¬ 
flictions, the most depressed many comforts. The shafts 
of envy fly over the lowly cottage, and smite the towers 
of greatness ; and while the peasant sleeps soundly in his 
humble cottage, 

“ Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” 

It has been well remarked by Bishop Hopkins, that 
“ there is scarcely any condition in the wmrld so low, but 
may satisfy our wants; and there is no condition so high, 
as can satisfy our desires. If we live according to the law 
of nature and reason, we shall never be poor; but if we 
live according to fond opinion and fancy, we shall never 
be rich.” 

The diversities of our temporal condition, therefore, 
illustrate the remark which Solomon has connected with^ 




S36 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHV. 

very important advice ; “ la the day of prosperity be 
joyful, but in the day of adversity consider; God also 
hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man 
should find nothing after him.”* 

Independently of these considerations, it may be ques¬ 
tioned whether that change after which so many eagerly 
aspire, would really conduce to their happiness. The 
probability is, that any material alteration of circumstan¬ 
ces is unfavourable to enjoyment, and that our respective 
destinies are so wisely arranged, that each one is, upon 
the whole, most likely to secure the greatest proportion 
of temporal felicity in the sphere originally assigned him, 
than in any other. His habits, his views, his friendships, 
are all fixed by his position and place in society, and all 
his mental faculties have been trained, so to speak, to this 
very spot. Any removal or change.would be hazardous,^ 
and more likely to impair than consummate his happiness. 
After the growth of years, the tree cannot be trans¬ 
planted into another soil and air without long exhibiting 
symptoms of languishing, and sometimes a total decay. 

Another reflection calculated to promote a contented 
spirit is, that if we were capable of tracing the tendencies, 
connexions, and ultimate results of all things they are 
seen by the eye of Omniscience, and established by omnipo¬ 
tent power, we should perceive as much reason to be thank¬ 
ful for what is denied us, as for what is bestowed. The 
fancied good which we are so eager to obtain would, in 
many cases, be a real evil in possession. Our prejudices, 
and passion prevent our forming a proper judgment, 
and were not our heavenly Father influenced by a truly 
parental solicitude for his people, the most fatal mis¬ 
chiefs would arise. 

Providence has two ways of punishing a repining or 
an impatient temper : the one is by counteracting it, by 
placing the imaginary good beyond the reach of attain^ 
meat, and forcing back the wandering heart to its home 
and its God, by disappointing its expectations of happiness 

*■ Eccles. vii. 14. 


THE SHUNAMMITE. 


297 


in earthly possessions. Such refusals, or rather obstruc¬ 
tions to temporal success, are indications of the purest re¬ 
gard, as parents, severely kind, take away from their fro- 
ward children those destructive weapons which had at¬ 
tracted them by their glittering appearance. Another, and 
a more dreadful mode of inflicting necessary chastisement, 
is, by complying with their wishes, and making them feel 
the insufiiciency of what they desired to render them 
happy. They “ forsook the fountain of living waters,” 
and the “ cisterns” they resolved to possess, prove to be 
broken” and empty. In this case, they suffer the 
double penalty of dissatisfaction in the imaginary good 
for which they had sacrificed so much, and of deep re¬ 
morse for a misconduct which has incurred the divine 
displeasure. It is said of Israel, “ he gave them their 
request, but sent leanness into their soul.”* 

In considering the denials of Providence, it should not 
be forgotten, that what is in part an evil, may be a good 
upon the whole; the amputation of a disordered or frac¬ 
tured limb, as it necessarily produces great personal 
suffering, is in part an evil; but, inasmuch as it saves 
life, it is, on the whole, an important good. On the 
other hand, that which is in part a good, may, on the whole, 
be an evil; the rich cargo with which a vessel is freighted 
may be considered in itself a good, but if it be retained 
to the destruction of the vessel tossed by a tempestuous 
ocean, and struck upon a sunken rock, it is, on the whole, 
a dreadful evil; and yet, in the vast concerns of the soul 
. and eternity, what multitudes act upon this fatal principle 
—clinging to their treasures, though they sink them into 
perdition! 

It is obvious, therefore, that in order to understand 
the dispensations of Heaven, it is necessary to know the 
circumstances of each particular case, which the very 
! limited extent of our present knowledge and capacities 
renders utterly impossible ; and it cannot be doubted, 
that if we were acquainted with the whole subject, the 

* Ps. cvi. 15. 




298 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

most afflictive events of life, no less than the most pleasing, 
would be seen to form essential parts of that great sys¬ 
tem of mercy, by which the universal Disposer is pro¬ 
moting the ultimate and perfect felicity of all his chil¬ 
dren. “ But let patience have her perfect work,” for 
eternity will discover these mysteries of time. “ JVom 
we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face ; now 
I know in part, but then shall I know even as also 1 am 
known.”* 

A third consideration, which, doubtless, influenced 
this contented Shunammite, was, the vanity of the world. 
The wise have always admitted, that the three principal 
objects of human desire, pleasures, riches, and honours, 
when weighed in the balances of truth, are “ found 
wanting,” and that, although the misplaced eagerness 
of mankind attributes to them a thousand charms, they 
are, in reality, but “ airy nothings.” 

“ As bubbles blown into the air,” says Bishop Hopkins, 

will represent a great variety of orient and glittering 
colours, not : as some suppose) that there are any such 
really there, but only they appear so to us, through a 
false reflection of light cast upon them; so truly this 
world, this earth on which we live, is nothing else but a 
great bubble blown up by the breath of God in the midst 
of the air, where it now hangs. It sparkles with ten thou¬ 
sand glories ; not that they are so in themselves, but 
only they seem so to us through the false light by which 
we look upon them. If we come to grasp it, like a thin 
film, it breaks, and leaves nothing but wind and disap¬ 
pointment in our hands ; as histories report of the fruits 
that grow near the Dead Sea, where once Sodom and 
Gomorrah stood, they appear very fair and beautiful to 
the eye, but, if they be crushed, turn straight to smoke and 
ashes.” If, from general reflections, we descend to the 
particular details of life, it will still be found, that “ while 
we eagerly pursue any worldly enjoyments, we are but 
running after a shadow ; and as shadows vanish, and are 

11 C*r. xiii. 12. 


THE SHUNAMMITE. 


299 


Swallowed up in the greater shade of night, so when the 
night of death shall cast its thick shade about us, and 
wrap us up in deep and substantial darkness, all these 
vain shadows will then disappear, and vanish quite out 
of sight.” 

The vanity of the world arises from the instability 
and mutation of human affairs, as well as from the com¬ 
parative insignificance of all its best enjoyments. We 
say, “ What a large estate does that distinguished per¬ 
sonage possess —vain word and false—he is only a 
tenant for a day—(o-morrow he will become the inha¬ 
bitant of a sepulchre ! What a mansion is yonder !—what 
a lovely family ! what prospects in business ! what ad¬ 
mirable connexions ! what charming society ! O what an 
edifice of human happiness is here !—The Providence of 
God blows upon the four corners of the house, and it 
falls! “ Here we have no continuing city”—no fixed, 
unalterable enjoyments—no permanent rest. Mutation 
is inscribed in characters clear and legible to the eye of 
reason, upon all terrestrial things ; and so uncertain are 
our property, our health, our enjoyments, our friend¬ 
ships, our ALL upon earth, that, as the thistle-down is 
scattered by the gentlest breeze, these light and fair pos¬ 
sessions may be wafted away by the first wind that rises, 
or the first touch of unexpected adversity. 

The impressive language of Scripture corroborates 
and illustrates these representations. “ Man that is born 
of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh 
forth like a flower, and is cut down : he fleeth also as a 
shadow, and continueth not.” . . . “ Lord, make me to 
know mine end, and the measure of my days what it is, 
that 1 may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made 
my days as a hand-breadth, and mine age is as nothing 
before thee: verily, every man at his best state is alto¬ 
gether vanity. Surely every man walketh in a vain 
show; surely they are disquieted in vain ; he heapeth 
up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.” . . . 
“We spend our years as a tale that is told.” . . . “ Mv 


300 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


days are like a shadow that declineth ; and I am withered 
like grass.” . . . “ As for man, his days are as grass, as a 
flower of the field, so he flourisheth ; for the wind pass- 
eth over it, and it is gone ; and the place thereof shall 
know it no more.” . . . “ Man is like to vanity; his days 
are as a shadow that passeth away.” . . . “ 1 have seen 
all the works that are done under the sun ; and, behold, 
all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” . . . “ What hath 
man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, 
wherein he hath laboured under the sun? For all his 
days are sorrows, and his travail grief, yea, his heart 
taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.” . . . 
“ Who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the 
days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow ? for 
who can tell a man what shall be after him under the 
sun ?” . . . “ Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, all 
is vanity.” . . . “ Go to now, ye that say. To-day or to¬ 
morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a 
year, and buy and sell and get gain ; whereas ye know 
not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your 
life ? it is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, 
and then vanisheth away.”^ 

A fourth reason for contentment, and w'hich we can¬ 
not doubt influenced the pious woman of Shunem, is to 
be derived from a view of that future happiness which in¬ 
finite goodness has provided for the children of God. In 
the early period to which we are now adverting, “ life 
and immortality” were not so distinctly “ brought to 
light” as they are in the Christian dispensation by 
“ the Gospel;” but from the day of the first promise of 
a Saviour, the believing mind perceived the grand pur¬ 
poses for which he was to descend into the world, and 
enjoyed some pleasing anticipations of that paradise, 
which it was his prerogative to confer upon one of his 
fellow-sufierers on the cross. If, as we believe, the 
Shunammite were acquainted with the existence, and, in 

Job xiv. 1, 2. Ps. xxxix. 4—6. xc. 9. cii. 11. ciii, 15,16. cxliv. 4. 
Eccles. i. 14. ii. 22, 23. vi. 12. xii. 8. James iv. 13,14. 


THE SMUiVAHMITE. 


3t)l 

degFee, with the glory of a future state ; if with 
Job she felt convinced, that “ though worms destroy this 
body, yet in her flesh she should see God if she knew 

any thing of that inexpressible charm which attaches to 
the blessedness of “ a better country,” arising from its 
unfading permanence,—the language of contentment 
which she uttered, was but the natural expression of a 
feeling which such discoveries were calculated to excite. 
It was sufficient, in her apprehension, to all the purposes 
of real happiness, to “ pass the time of her sojourning” 
among her “ own people,” without seeking those dis¬ 
tinctions which constitute only the vain decorations of a 
scene that passeth away. Nor did her principles merely 
promote satisfaction with her lot: they fortified her 
against the assault of temptation, a temptation presented in 
the least exceptionable form, and recommended by the 
sanctity of a prophet, who deliberately proposed to her 
an interference with the king, or the captain of the host,' 
for her temporal advancement. Her words express an 
unalterable resolution of mind : “ I dwell amongst mine 
own people.” 

Every thing earthly possesses a character of insigni¬ 
ficance from its transitoriness, while every heavenly ob¬ 
ject becomes inviting on account of its durability. A 
single hour may precipitate us from the highest worldly 
elevation—the proudest laurel that ever decked the 
brow of the proudest hero quickly fades ; and he who 
sets out upon a journey of discovery to find the extent of 
human enjoyments, will soon “ see an end of all perfec¬ 
tion.”*" But religion has laurels which never fade; 
crowns of glory which pass to no envious successor. 
Religion does not lay her foundations in the sand, but 
erecting her temple upon the shores of eternity, bids 
us enter in to “go no more out.” 

An apostle states, that “ godliness hath the promise of 
the life which now is, and of that which is to come 
intimating the certainty of the existence of a future state* 

* Ps. cxix. 96. f 1 Tim. iv. 8. 

C c 


VoL. I. 









302 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BldCRAPHY. 

the nature of its felicities, and the essential connexion 
between the pursuit and the ultimate possession of it. 
The value of this promise respecting the life to come, is 
not a little enhanced by its being accomplished precisely 
at that critical moment when every earthly hope expires, 
and every human joy departs. Godliness has, indeed, 
the promise of the life which “ 7iota>is;” but, if it had 
not, the life which “ now is” will soon terminate : the 
successive generations of mankind are hastening to the 
grave ; our breath will soon cease—our possessions must 
soon be left—our days soon covered with the shadows of 
the last evening—all we fondly called our own scattered 
to the winds ;—but at such a moment of desolation, the 
religion of Jesus points to regions of deathless felicity. 
His voice seems to sound across the gulf of death, in ac¬ 
cents soft and sweet as the harps of angels, “ I am the re¬ 
surrection and the life.”'^ And the “ life to come” is no 
other than the perfection of the Christian’^ life which 
“ now is”—a life of love—a life of peace, purity, and 
praise—a life of incessant activity in the service of the 
blessed God. Hence his present spiritual life, is a kind of 
pledge and promise of his eternal life ; the pantings and 
breathings of a holy mind after that world, are proofs that 
it is his home; and the believer in Christ becomes assu¬ 
red, that as he advances in spiritual attainments here, he 
is making so many approaches, hastening by so many 
steps, to the perfection and joy of eternity. 

A few brief observations on the advantages resulting 
from a daily and deep impression of the transitory nature 
of terrestrial possessions, and keeping the scenes of 
another life in constant view, shall close the present 
section. 

1. This will tend to moderate our earthly attachments. 
Affections were not implanted in our nature to be sup¬ 
pressed and extinguished. We may love, but we must 
not love inordinately. Love must be proportioned to 
the value ,of the object, and must be regulated by scrip- 

^ John xi. 25. 


THE SHUNAMMITE. 


303 


taral principles, otherwise we shall commit offence, and 
suffer injury. There is a remedy, and but one effectual 
remedy, for the errors of the heart. It is suggested by 
an apostle : “ Set your affection on things above, not 
on things on the earth.”* 

2. A due impression of the present, and a just concep¬ 
tion of the future, will conduce to the purification of our 
moral principles. Intermixture with the world, its busi¬ 
ness and concerns, and those solicitudes which occupy 
the attention in reference to transactions merely tempo¬ 
ral, tend to vitiate the mind. In the pursuits of traffic 
we seem to live, as if we were destined to live here 
always. The interests of a moment engross and capti¬ 
vate the passions, and kindle ardours which burn with 
incessant vigour. The mind is brought close to present 
objects, in consequence of which they assume an unna¬ 
tural magnitude, filling the whole sphere of vision, and 
excluding external realities from view. The effect of 
this is depraving: it contracts the soul, misdirects its 
energies, and blunts the edge of its spiritual sensibility. 

3. The sentiment we are wishing to inculcate will 
furnish us with consolation amidst adversities, and recon - 
cile the spirit to bereaving dispensations. The present 
is a probationary state ; and although the particular mode 
of suffering be unknown, afflictions are not unexpecteci 
by Christians. But whatever is transitory is tolerable— 

-“ the darkest da}”", 

Live till to-morrow, will have pass’d away.” 

As their own condition is subject to vicissitude, they 
know also the uncertainty of every other, and realize the 
possibility of separation from their nearest and dearest 
connexions. The severity of disappointment is here 
diminished ; for what cannot be retained, or is precari¬ 
ous, or ought to be resigned, is dispensed with, if not 
without a sigh or tear, at least without a resentment 
against the smiting hand of Providence. 

^ Coloss. iii. 2, 



304 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY\ 

4. This comparative view of our two states of being, 
and this just estimate of their proportionate importance, 
will prepare us for our own dissolution. The feeling 
that we have no fixed, no permanent abode on earth, will 
familiarize the mind with the consideration, that “ it is 
appointed unto men once to die.” If, when a fatal disease 
attacked the constitution, we thought for the first time of 
our removal from the present scene, the effect would 
be unspeakably painful, and hence arises the despondency 
which often pervades the mind of such as have moved 
only in circles of gayety and dissipation; but a Christian 
frequently meditates upon the final hour. While looking 
at this or that valued possession, he reflects, “ I must 
soon leave it: the loan will, in a short period, be re¬ 
claimed.” 

Nor is this all. The prospect before him is exhila¬ 
rating. “ To die is gain.” If the death of a man resem¬ 
bled that of a beast, if the termination of life were the 
extinction of being, the prospect would be inexpressibly 
alarming : but the religion of Jesus confers a victory 
over every fear, by revealing immortality. A Christian 
knows there is something worth dying for; and this ani¬ 
mates him to walk with a firm step down “ the valley of 
the shadow of death.” He is guided through a darkness 
impervious to reason. A beam from the “ excellent 
glory” lights him home 1 


the shvxammite. 


SECTION II. 

Elisha promises a son to the Shunammite—his birth—hiS sudden death, in 
consequenc,e of being sun-smitten—she repairs to the prophet—her ex¬ 
pression of^ profound submission to the will of God—her subsequent im¬ 
passioned appeal to Elisha—the child restored to life—the Shunammite’.s 
removal into Philistia, and return—her successful application to the king 
for the restoration of her property. 

Defeated in his benevolent intentions by the un¬ 
ambitious spirit of the Shunammite, Elisha consulted his 
confidential servant Gehazi, through whom the former 
communication had been made, respecting what could be 
done for her benefit. Sincere as her refusal had been, 
he found it impossible to satisfy himself without some 
furtlier attempt to express his gratitude ; and upon the 
suggestion of Gehazi that she had no child, the prophet 
directed that she should be again called into his presence. 
“ And he said. About this season, according to the time 
of life, thou shalt embrace a son.” 

It is not improbable, that although Elisha addicted him¬ 
self to great retirement, Gehazi might be in the habit of 
familiar intercourse with this pious family, by which 
means perhaps he found that they were anxious upon this 
point; at least, if that spirit of perfect contentment which 
{ breathed in the language on which we have already of¬ 
fered some observations, influenced them on this as well 
as on other occasions, they no doubt had intimated, in a 
moment of unreserved intercourse, that a child would 
prove a most acceptable gift of Providence. 

The brevity of the sacred history precludes that detail 
of circumstances attending any particular transaction 
which it sometimes seems necessary to suppose. In the 
j present case, it is not to be presumed that Elisha would 

C c 2 




306 


FEMALE $CRIFTURE BIOGRAPHV’. 


have ventured, immediately, upon the mere suggestion of 
Gehazi, to give so important a promise to the Shunammite 
as that which is here recorded, without first consulting 
the will of Heaven, or receiving some divine intimation 
of an event which no human being could foresee, much 
less make the subject of a solemn prediction. 

Upon his announcing so unexpected a mercy, she 
manifested that sort of incredulity which extreme asto¬ 
nishment blended with joy is calculated at the first mo¬ 
ment to produce ; and the well-known effect of which 
accounts for what, under other circumstances, would 
appear like disrespectful language : “ Nay, my lord, thou 
man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.” She was 
too much acquainted with Elisha’s character to intend to 
charge him with deliberate falsehood; but her feelings 
were suddenly overpowered, and consequently, she was 
at no leisure to weigh her words. The prophet’s pre¬ 
diction was completely verified ; and she had a son, “ at 
that season that Elisha had said unto her, accordinc to 
the time of life.”—“ Lo I children are a heritage of the- 
/Lord; and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”^ 

In reviewing the scriptural account of remote ages, 
we cannot fail to be struck with several instances of the 
extreme anxiety of good women for the possession of 
children; an anxiety which requires some other reason 
than the general causes to be assigned for domestic and 
-social congratulations common upon such occasions. Sarah, 
dor example, the wife of Abrahani, vvas induced by this 
desire to practise a piece of wretched and criminal 
policy, in giving Hagar, her Egyptian handmaid, to her 
husband.”! Rachel, the beloved wife of Jacob, was so 
impatient of her own barrenness, and so envious of hen 
sister, that she exclaimed, “ Give me children, or else I 
die.”| The fact was, that they were influenced by the. 
promises of God to Abraham, wdiose posterity were to 
inherit the most invaluable blessings, and from whom the. 


? Ps. cxxvii. X 


Gen,, xvi. 


t Gert. XXX. I.v 


SnUNAMMlTE. 307 

IMessiah himself was to descend in the fulness of time. 
As in him “ all the families of the earth w'ere to be 
blessed,” who can be surprised that the most distant pro¬ 
bability or possibility of introducing him, who was to be 
“ born of a woman,” into the world, should excite an 
ardent wish in every pious wmman to become a mother. 
And here it must be admitted, that whatever reproach 
the first transgressor might have cast upon the female sex 
by her misconduct, it is for ever wiped away by the en¬ 
viable distinction of becoming instrumental to a Saviour’S' 
birth. 

The time hastened in which the Shunammite was to be 
subjected to a species of trial different from that with 
which she had been hitherto exercised. The congratu¬ 
lations of her connexions on the birth of her child were 
scarcely expressed, and her earthly happiness consum¬ 
mated, when she w'as destined to suffer acutely by the 
death of her little favourite. 

Those who have never felt a similar deprivation are 
necessarily disqualified from forming any adequate idea 
of the bitterness of parental grief, when the objects of 
their fondest solicitude are suddenly snatched from the 
grasp of their affections. It is difficult to say in what 
period of youthful history this stroke is severest, or 
when it is most tolerable; because every point of age 
has its peculiar attractions, and parental love will always 
imagine that to be the most afflicting in which the event 
occurs. Happy those who can adopt the language of one. 
of the sweetest epitaphs that ever adorned a monu¬ 
ment !— 


“ Liv’d—to wake each tender passion,. 
And delightful hopes inspire; 

Died—to try our resignation, 

And direct our wishes higher 
% 

Fiest, sweet babe, in gentle slumber?^. 
Till the resurrection mom ; 

Then arise to join the numbers. 

That its triumphs shall adipm-* 








308 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHV. 

Though, thy presence so endearing. 

We thy absence now deplore ; 

At the Saviour’s bright appearing, 

We shall meet to part no more. 

Thus to thee, O Lord, submitting, 

We the tender pledge resign; 

And, thy mercies ne’er forgetting. 

Own that all we have is thine.”* 

It is not unusual for the providence of God to deprive 
us of those objects we had too exclusively and too fondly 
called our own, and the long enjoyment of which we had 
confidently anticipated. This is no capricious proceed¬ 
ing : it is marked by wisdom and goodness, since our 
real happiness depends on the regulation of those pas¬ 
sions which, but for such dispensations, would rove with 
unhallowed eccentricity from the chief good. It is neces¬ 
sary that we should be trained in the school of adversity ; 
and that by a course of corrective discipline, nicely 
adapted to each particular case, our characters should be 
gradually matured for a nobler existence. 

The manner in which the calamity to which we have 
referred overtook the Shunammite, is thus detailed by 
the faithful pen of inspiration. “ And when the child 
was grown, it fell on a day that he went out to his father 
to the reapers. And he said unto his father, My head, 
my head ! And he said to a lad. Carry him to his mother. 
And when he had taken him and brought him to his 
mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.” 

From this brief statement it is evident that this child 
was smitten by the sun, in consequence of exposing him¬ 
self in the harvest field to the intensity of the season. In 
northern climates it is difficult to realize the danger ; but 
in the torrid zone great precaution is necessary to avoid 

* Epitaph in Bunhill Fields burying-ground on a child that died at the 
age of nine months. , The writer of these pages knows not the author, or 
whether these lines have ever appeared in any other place than on the stone 
whence he has transcribed them, from an impression of their piety and pc- 
edcal excellence.. 


THE SHUNAJIMITE. 


3ay 

such calamities. Observing the effects of the sun’s rays, 
Apollo is represented, in heathen mythology, as holding 
a bow,, and shooting his arrows upon the earth. 

“ Pay sacred reverence to Apollo’s song, 

Lest watchful the far-shooting god emit 
His fatal arrows.” 

PRion’s Callimachus. 

i he heat in some parts of Judea has often proved- 
fatal, even at a very early period of the year. In a 
battle fought by king Baldwin IV. near Tiberias in Gali¬ 
lee, as many are said to have died in both armies by the 
heat as by the sword ; and an ecclesiastic of eminence, 
although carried in a litter, expired under mount Tabor, 
near the river Kishon, in consequence of the excessive 
heat. Shunem was in the neighbourhood of Tabor.* 

As soon as the Shunammite found that her son was 
dead, she took him to the prophet’s chamber, and laying 
him on his bed, shut the door and departed. The only 
reason of this proceeding probably was, its being the 
most retired part of the house, and therefore the best 
suited to such a melancholy occasion. But who can ex¬ 
press the yearnings of her maternal tenderness, when she 
left behind her this precious, but now insensible clay! 
That tongue which had so often pleased her by its inno¬ 
cent prattle, so often uttered 

-“ the fond name 

That wakes affection to a llame,” 

was now silent in death ; and those artless and attractive 
smiles, which to a mother’s heart were more lovely than 
I tlie looks of the morning, were subsided into the fixed 
i and motionless aspect of one whose spirit has ceased to 
I animate the body. 

An impatient temper might have invented many rea¬ 
sons for discontent, on this affecting occasion. It might 
! have reproached the father for permitting the child to 
I accompany him, at this sultry season, into the harvest, 
field—^the child for an infantine eagerness to go-—or her- 

Obsen'ations, vol. i. p. 4. 





310 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

self for indiscreetly allowing of so dangerous a gratifica¬ 
tion. A comparison of the happier lot of other families 
might have been drawn, whose children went out on the 
same day, and returned urismitten by the infectious at¬ 
mosphere, or the burning sun ; and by aggravating the 
painful peculiarity of her own affliction, she might thus 
have drived the barbed arrow still deeper into her bosom, | 
and censured, at least by implication, the Supreme Dis¬ 
poser. But we have to admire a conduct which bespeaks 
the fullest conviction that it was a providence and not a 
casualty that occasioned the death of her beloved off¬ 
spring, and evinces the most,entire acquiescence in the 
mournful event. i 

While our attention is confined solely to second causes, 
the mind will be involved in a labyrinth of difficulties, in 
judging of the changes and trials incident to the present 
life ; but when our faith ascends above this low and lim¬ 
ited scene, to contemplate the arrangements of an uni¬ 
versal Providence, the deepest mysteries become unra¬ 
velled, and the greatest seeming inconsistencies in a con¬ 
siderable degree reconciled. Or, if we cannot develope 
the whole plan, and ascertain the reason of every move¬ 
ment of almighty wisdom, we at least acquire a spirit of 
submission and obedience. 

Some persons are so overwhelmed by their sorrows 
as to be totally disqualified for their duties : but, although 
the world may applaud this acute sensibility, religion 
condemns it. As the effect of mere passion, it has 
nothing in it which can secure the approbation of God ; 
on the contrary, it is offensive to him, who, while he 
permits us to weep, does not allow us to despond, and who 
often sees it best to humble a refractory spirit by a re¬ 
petition of chastisement. | 

This excellent Shunammite, after making the neces¬ 
sary arrangements for her poor departed son in the pro¬ 
phet’s chamber, instead of sitting down to indulge her 
own melancholy feelings, or court the compassion of 
her domestics and friends, despatched a messenger 













THE 8IIUNAMM1TE, 31} 

to her husband, to request that a servant might be sent to 
her with one of the asses, for the purpose of going to 
pay a visit to the man of God. As she had not told him 
the motive of this sudden determination, he remonstrated, 
because it was “ neither new moon nor sabbath,” that 
is, neither the usual time of secular or sacred journeys.^ 
He was, however, easily satisfied when she intimated 
that she had a good reason for wishing to pay this visit. 
“ She said. It shall be well.” 

“ See,” says pious Matthew Henry, “ how this hus¬ 
band and wife vied respects ; she was so dutiful to him 
that she would not go till she had acquainted him with 
her journey, and he so loving to her that he would not 
oppose it, though she did not think fit to acquaint him 
with her business.” 

Equipped according to the eastern mode of travelling, 
the Shunammite mounted an ass, and ordered the man 
appointed to attend her and goad on the animal, to make 
oil possible haste to mount Carmel. As soon as Elisha 
saw her coming, he sent Gehazi to salute her with these 
inquiries : “ Is it well with thee ? Is it well with thy 
husband ? Is it well with the child ?” As she came at so 
unexpected a moment, and with such evident haste, the 
prophet was naturally apprehensive that some calamity 
had befallen her, and, as he felt a deep interest in all her 
concerns, first inquired respecting what he well knew 
lay near her heart, the welfare of her family. Her re¬ 
ply was short, but remarkable : “ It is well.” 

Some have considered this merely as an evasive an¬ 
swer, made for the purpose of avoiding conversation 
with Gehazi, with whom she did not wish to enter into 
the particulars of her present situation. This, however, 
is an improbable interpretation, because it would by no 
means comport with the general integrity of her charac- 

* The first day of the month was kept with bumt-offerings and peace- 
offerings. Vide Numb. x. 10. and xxviii. 11. In imitation of the Jews, 
the calends, or first days of the month, and the fourth and seventh of the 
week, were sacred to Deity, 


^512 FEMALE SdRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

ter, nor with the respect which was due, and which we 
know she cherished, for the prophet. This was doubtless 
the message with which Gehazi returned to his master, 
who, from his ignorance of her precise circumstances, 
could not, till her own subsequent explanation, compre¬ 
hend the elevated sentiments implied in such a general 
reply. A pious mind in similar circumstances would not 
hesitate to affirm, “ It is weir—well with the living —well 
with the dead —well with those who, notwithstanding all 
their bereavements, arc under the care of Heaven and 
enjoy the smiles of God —well with those, whose disem¬ 
bodied spirits, escaped from the imprisonment of time, 
have ascended to the unfettered freedom, the unbounded 
felicity, of eternity. 

In this view the Shunammite recognized the sove¬ 
reignty of God ; his indisputable right to dispose of her 
and her affairs as he pleased. “ Shall the clay say to 
him that formed it. What doest thou ?” The unbending 
temper of infidelity will, perhaps, receive this as “ a 
hard saying-,” but it is affirmed in the inspired page, and 
must ever be admitted by him who is in his “ right mind.” 
Uncontrollable power, acting irrespectively of wisdom or 
goodness, would be indeed a terrific idea, and must issue 
in a state of universal anarchy; but the 'perfection of 
that Infinite Being who “ sitteth upon the circle of the 
earth,” secures the righteous exercise of the most irre¬ 
sistible authority; and of this we may ever be assured, 
that although his arm is omnipotent, it is never unmer¬ 
ciful. 

The Shunammite intended also to express her confi¬ 
dence in the goodness of God, however disguised by the 
afflictive nature of his dispensations. In a proper state 
of mind it will not be requisite, in order to produce re¬ 
signation, that we should comprehend the whole design 
of every sorrow. We shall bow to the mysteriousness 
of the event; and the patience of our endurance will 
not depend on the full developement and explanation of 
the mystery. Whether events accord with our wishes. 


THE SHrXAMMITE. 


313 


or oppose them, “ It is the Lord” will strike us into 
silence and submission. 

Upon this subject the declarations of the Scriptures 
are most encourtiging. They affirm, that “ he doth not 
willingly afflict or grieve the children of men”—that 
their own benefit requires the chastisement, of whatever 
description it may be—that not a needless sigh heaves 
the human bosom, or an unnecessary tear is made to flow 
—and that all things work together for good to them 
that love God, to them that are the called according to 
his purpose.” It cannot be doubted, that the all-wise 
Disposer could, if he had pleased, have prevented a sin¬ 
gle cloud from rising to darken the Christian’s day, and 
by the interdictions of his Providence, as formerly by the 
blood sprinkled upon the door-posts of Israel in Egypt, 
have secured his people from tha visitation of all the 
messengers of wo ; but he knows that affliction is condu¬ 
cive to our real welfare, that it is a means of improving 
our character, and of preparing us for that state of per¬ 
fect enjoyment where it shall be no longer necessary; 
and that it furnishes occasion for the exercise of those 
graces which adorn the Christian’s character, and glorify 
his God. 

“ We should endeavour,” to use the words of a pro¬ 
found writer, “ not to be distressed about any thing, but 
to take every event for the best. I apprehend this to be 
a duty, and the neglect of it to be a sin : for, in truth, 
the reason why sin is sin, is merely because it is contra- 
ry to the will of God. If, therefore, the essence of ^^in 
consists in having a will contradictory to the knowa will 
of God, it seems clear to me, that when he discovers his 
will to us by events, we sin if we do not c<^fi^orm our¬ 
selves to it.” Again, “ Our own will, though it should 
obtain all it can wish, would never be crotented : but w e 
are contented from the very instant tAat we renounce it. 
We never can be contented with nor otherwise than 
contented without it.”*" 

^ Pascal’s Thous^ts, pp. 229,244. 

0 d 


VoL. r. 



314 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


It is highly proper to investigate the causes of our sor¬ 
rows, to inquire how far they are ‘occasioned by any 
thing sinful in ourselves. It becomes us to be humble 
and penitent before God, when we discover that our own 
misconduct has rendered it necessary for him who is 
slow to anger” to inflict chastisement. It is to be fear¬ 
ed that while we abhor the blasphemy of uttering the 
language of complaint, and of saying, like Jonah, “ I do 
well to be angry,” we often do not suspect the criminali¬ 
ty of cherishing hard thoughts of Providence, doubting 
the propriety or repining at the continuance of afflictive 
dispensations. There exists, perhaps, a secret suspicion 
of his goodness, a latent spirit of revolt, which we dare 
jiot express, or which we flatter ourselves, because we 
give it another name, that we do not cherish. 

The people of God, sometimes receive affliction with a 
gaze of wonder, as if it were the most unlikely of all oc¬ 
currences. We feel no surprise when it attacks others, 
but live in the true spirit of the poet’s representation, 

‘‘ All men think all men mortal but themselves. 

Ill general terms we even acknowledge that we are not 
exempted ; and yet, when actually visited by personal or 
relative troubles, we seem like a traveller suddenly over¬ 
taken by a thunderstorm; all is confusion and alarm: 
our faith, and hope, and joy, take wing, and leave us 
solitary and sad. In our alarm we forget God, think it 
‘" strange,” brood with a melancholy, but guilty pleasure, 
ovev our sufferings, and act as if we thought that “ God 
had foigotten to be gracious.” But “ let them that suffer 
according t,o the will of God, commit the keeping of their * 
souls to himfn well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”* 

“ Four thin^,” observes Melancthon, “ ought to be 
well impressed u^n our minds respecting afflictions. 

“ 1. They are appointed. We do not suffer affliction 
'by chance, but by the (Hterminate counsel and permission 
.of God. 

^ 1 Kviv. 19. 



1 


THE SHUNAMMITE. 


315 


‘*^ 2. By means of affliction God punishes his people ; 
not that he may destroy them, but to recall them to re¬ 
pentance and the exercise of faith : for afflictions are not 
indications of displeasure, but of kindness—‘ He willeth 
not the death of a sinner.’ 

“ 3. God requires us to submit to his afflictive dispen¬ 
sations, and to expend our indignation and impatience 
upon our own sins; and, since he determines to afflict 
his church in the present state, submission tends to glo¬ 
rify his name. 

“ 4. Resignation, however, is not all; he requires 
faith and prayer, that we may both seek and expect di¬ 
vine assistance. Thus he admonishes us, ‘ Call upon me 
in the day of trouble, I will answer tliee, and thou slialt 
glorify me.’ 

“ These four considerations are applicable to all our 
afflictions, and are calculated, if properly regarded, to 
produce that truly Christian patiencej which essentially 
differs from mere philosophical endurance. 

As soon as the Shunammite came to Elisha, she fell at 
his feet and embraced them. Gehazi attempted to thrust 
her away, but the prophet told him to desist, intimating 
that he perceived she was in some deep affliction with 
^vhich he was unacquainted. Then bursting out in the 
abrupt language of impassioned grief, she exclaimed, 
“ Did I desire a son of my lord ? Did I not say, Do not 
deceive me ?” 

If these words iverfr a complaining aspect, we must 
make allowance for the strength of maternal feelings ; 
perhaps, too, notwithstanding her characteristic equani¬ 
mity of temper, and the elevated piety of her mind, she 
was betrayed, in this instance, into some degree of impa¬ 
tience. It is remarkable, that some of the most eminent 
of saints have failed, in particular periods of their lives, 
in the exercise of those very dispositions for which they 
are particularly celebrated. That fiithful page, which 

* See The Like of Philip Melancthon, by the author of this work, p. 
^25, second edition. 


316 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

delineates the characters of men with perfect impartiality, 
represents Moses, distinguished for his meekness^ as in a 
state of violent irritation when he saw the idolatry ot 
Israel; in consequence of which he broke the tvyo tables 
of stone to pieces on which the finger of God had inscri¬ 
bed his own laws—Job, to whom sacred and profane his¬ 
tory have assigned extraordinary patience^ in language 
the most emphatical “ cursed his day^' —Peter, whose 
courage and ardent zeal in the service of his Divine Mas¬ 
ter were apparent on every other occasion, not only 
trembled before the simple intimation of a servant-maid 
that he was one of his friends, but denied him with oaths 
and curses. Such is the inconsistency of human charac¬ 
ter ! Such are the shades that darken the brightest names I 
Such the salutary warnings that preceding ages transmit 
to those who have to follow the long train of heaven-bound 
travellers to a better existence! 

Let us turn our eyes for a moment from these speci¬ 
mens of mortal excellence to him who was “ holy, harm¬ 
less, undefiled, separate from sinners and who has 
left us “ an example, that we should follow his steps : 
who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth . . . 
who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the 
tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto 
righteousness.”! 

Compassionating the distressed Shunammite, Elisha im¬ 
mediately adopted measures to afford her effectual conso¬ 
lation. He commanded Gehazi to hasten to the chamber 
appropriated to his use, and lay his staff upon the face of 
the child. He was to avoid the usual compliments upon 
meeting friends or strangers, in order that not a moment 
might be lost.J The bereaved mother, in the mean time, 

* Heb. vii. 26. f 1 Pet. ii. 21, 22, 24. 

, I “ The salutations of the East often take up a long time. The manner o£ 
salutation as now practised by the people of Egypt, is not less ancient. The 
ordinary way of saluting people, when at a distance, is bringing the hand 
down to the knees, and then carrying it to the stomach; marking their de¬ 
votedness to a person, by holdiiTg down the hand; as they do their aflection, 
by their after raising it up to the heart. When they come close together 




THE SHUNAMJIITE. 


317 


refused to quit the prophet, to whom she was so much 
attached, and in whom she cherished such unbounded 
confidence ; and he,'affected by her sufferings, arose and 
accomjflinied her home. 

Gehazi fulfilled his commission ; but finding no symp* 
toms of life, he returned to inform his master, whom he 
met on the way. “ And when Elisha was come into the 
house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. 
He went in, therefore, and shut the door upon them 
twain, and prayed unto the Lord. And he went up, and 
lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, 
and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, 
and he stretched himself upon the child ; and the flesh 
of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked 
in the house to and fro ; and went up and stretched him¬ 
self upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and 
the child opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi, and 
said. Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when 
she was come in unto him, he said. Take up thy son. 
Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself 
to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.” 

It is observable, that the attempt to' reanimate the 
child by despatching the servant to place the prophet’s 

al'tervvard, they take each other by the hand, in token of frienaship. What 
is very pleasant, is to see the country-people reciproca'-’y clapping each 
other’s hands very smartly', twenty or thirty times <^^>gethor, in meeting, 
without saying any thing more than Salarnai aid^ halcom ; that is to say, 
How do you do ? I iuish you good health. If this form of complimenting 
must be acknowledged to be simple, it nxiSt be admitted to be very affec¬ 
tionate. Perhaps it marks out a better disposition of heart than all the 
.studied phrases which are in use ainong us, and which politeness almost 
always makes use of at the expense of sincerity. After this first compli¬ 
ment, many' other friendly quest'^^ns are asked about the health of the fami¬ 
ly, mentioning each of th© children distinctly, whose names they know,” 
&c. Maillet, Descript, de I’Egypte. 

“ If the forms of salutation among the ancient Jewish peasants took up as 
much time as those of tlie modern Egyptians that belong to that ranic of life, 
it is no wonder the prophet commanded his servant to abstain from saluting 
those he might meet with, when sent to recover the child of the Shunaminitess 
to life. They diat have attributed this order to haste, have dene right; but 
they ought to have shown the tediousness of Eastern compliments” Har- 
rMER’s Observations, vol. ii. pp. 331, 332. 

D d2 


318 


ITEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


staff upon its face utterly failed, possibly because “ this 
act was done out of human conceit, not out of instinct from 
God:^'* Elisha, howerer, came, prayed unto the Lord, 
and succeeded in effecting a miraculous restoratiqp of the 
departed child. The grateful mother may be classed 
among those who, through faith, “ received their dead 
raised to life again.” How animating the prospect of 
that moment when almighty power will be displayed in 
raising every human body from the grave, and reuniting 
it with its kindred spirit in a state of deathless existence! 
May we attain the “ blessedness and holiness” of such as 
have “ part in the first resurrection!” 

Only one other circumstance is mentioned in the his¬ 
tory of the Shunammite. When Israel was threatened 
with a famine of seven years, Elisha forewarned her of 
the danger, and advised her retirement into some place 
of security and plenty, t She accordingly removed with 
her family into the land of the Philistines. At the expi¬ 
ration of this period she returned ; but finding that her 
property had become the prey of rapacity, or was aliena¬ 
ted by some royal edict, she applied to the king for its 
restoration. This was perfectly consistent with her for¬ 
mer character; for although she felt no eagerness for 
worldly advancement, and, indeed, refused it, piety did 
not require « total negligence of her civil rights, or of 
measures calculated to preserve her and her beloved 
family from a state c-f indigence. 

Providentially, at the precise moment of her applica¬ 
tion the king was conversih^r with Gehazi, who was in¬ 
forming him of Elisha’s miracles, and in particular of the 
miracle he had performed upon the deceased son of the 
Shunammite. She was of course introduced under the 
most favourable circumstances ; and having ascertained 
the identity of the present applicant, the king appointed 
unto her a certain officer, saying. Restore all that was 
hers, and all the fruits of the field, since the day tl>at she 
left the land even until now.” 

» Bishop JIali. f 2 Kings viii. 1—^. 


THE SHUNAMMITE. 


31 ^ 


Thus is afforded a striking exemplification of the re¬ 
mark of Solomon, “ The king’s heart is in the hand of 
the Lord, as the rivers of water : he turneth it whither-, 
soever he will.”* • 


Prov, xxr. t, ^ 


/ 


ESTHER, 

V 

CHAPTER XIV. 


The feasts of the king of Persia—^his queen Vashti sent for—her refusal to 
obey the summons—her divorce—plan to fill up the vacancy—Esther 
chosen queen—Mordecai detects a conspiracy—declines paying homage 
to Haman—resentment of the latter, who obtains a decree against the 
Jews—Mordecai’s grief, and repeated applications to Esther—she goes 
in to the king—is accepted—invites the king and Haman to a banquet— 
mortification of the latter at Mordecai’s continued neglect—orders a gal¬ 
lows to be built for the disrespectful Jew—the honour conferred by the 
king upon Mordecai for his past zeal in his service—Haman’s indigna¬ 
tion—is fetched to a second banquet—Esther tells her feelings, and accu¬ 
ses Haman—his confusion and useless entreaties—he is hung on his own 
gallows—Mordecai’s advancement—escape of the Jews by the interces-* 
sion of Estlier—feast of Pifrim. 

One of the most delightful employments of the hea¬ 
venly state will probably be, to investigate the past dis¬ 
pensations of Providence, and to make perpetual disco¬ 
veries of its mysteries. In that world of light, events 
which are now covered with clouds and darkness imper¬ 
vious to the eye of sense, will become obvious to the 
view of “ just men made perfect” in all their propor¬ 
tions, connexions, and combinations. The shadows of 
the morning having disappeared, the brightness of eternal 
noon will irradiate our existence. 

We are by no means to imagine, however, that it is 
inconsistent with the present arrangements of divine good¬ 
ness to afford us information, even in this world, respect¬ 
ing his'plans and purposes : we do “ know,” though it 
be but “ in part.”^ The book of providence is indeed 
the least intelligible to us of all that the wisdom of God 
has written ; but we can read some of its pages, and un¬ 
derstand some of its hieroglyphical characters. The histo¬ 
ries of Scripture constitute a volume of elementary in- 

1 Cor. xiii. 12. 


ESTHER. 32 t 

structions, of which the narrative of Esther has always 
been regarded as singularly interesting. 

In order to introduce this story, it will be requisite to 
take a cursory view of some previous occurrences. The 
scene is laid in Persia, in the days of Ahasuerus, another 
name, as learned men have generally agreed, 
for Artaxerxes Longimanus. After struggling Christ, about 
with those perplexing competitions for empire 
which often obstruct the path to a crown, and agitate the 
first years of power in arbitrary governments, he at 
length secured the dominion of Persia with its hundred 
and twenty-seven provinces. To proclaim his undispu¬ 
ted possession, and to display his glory, he appointed a 
feast, which may perhaps be deemed unrivalled in the 
majesty of its circumstances and the length of its continu¬ 
ance. At the expiration of a hundred and fourscore days, 
the king gave another entertainment of seven days, for 
“ all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, 
both unto great and small.” It -was held in the court of 
the garden, for the purpose of accommodation, and with 
great magnificence. Vashti also, his royal consort, in 
conformity to the visages of the times, which, it must be 
admitted, were admirably calculated to preserve the pu¬ 
rity of morals, preparM a separate entertainment for the 
women in another part of the palace. “ Vashti feasted 
the women in her own apartment; not openly in the 
court of the garden, but in the royal house. Thus, while 
the king showed the honour of his majesty^ she and her 
ladies showed the honour of their modesty, which is truly 
the majesty of the fair sex.”^ 

Alas! how little did Ahasuerus comprehend wherein 
true riches and dignity consisted; and how little are these 
heathen “ lovers of pleasure” to be envied by us, who 
are invited as welcome guests to a nobler table and a bet¬ 
ter banquet! “ Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath 
hewn out her seven pillars, she hath slain her oxen, she 
hath mingled her wine.”t Into the highways and hedges, 
* Hknry f ProY. ii 1. 


322 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


into every quarter of the world, and amongst every class 
of mankind, the messengers of heaven are commissioned 
to go and call the poor as well as the rich, the peasant 
as well as the prince, to the “ feast of fat things,” which 
celestial mercy has provided in the Gospel, where admis¬ 
sion is not exclusive, where indulgence cannot be con¬ 
strued into excess, 'where not a brutual appetite, but a 
mental and spiritual taste, is amply supplied. The prin¬ 
ces of Persia congratulated themselves upon the favour 
of Ahasuerus; but how much greater reason have Chris¬ 
tians to rejoice in the friendship of Christ! Now they are 
admitted to participate the blessings of his grace and the 
sacramental festival; hereafter they have substantial rea¬ 
sons to anticipate a diviner intercourse and a more exalted 
familiarity, when they shall drink new wine with him in 
his Father’s kingdom.* 

On the seventh day of the feast already mentioned, 
the king commanded the seven chamberlains of his house¬ 
hold to wait upon Vashti, and bring her before him array¬ 
ed in the crown-royal. His heart is said to have been 
** merry with wine,” or he would not have thought cf 
indulging his own vanity, and insulting his queen’s digni- 
by such an exhibition. She ventured to refuse a com¬ 
pliance with this royal order, in which she was probably 
countenanced by the concurring opinion and feelings of 
the ladies who were present at the entertainment. As a 
woman she felt for the honour of her sex, and as a queen 
for her individual reputation and dignity. It was unques¬ 
tionably a foolish command, contrary to the Persian cus¬ 
toms, and dishonourable to the character of Ahasuerus 
as a sovereign and a husband. It is not by indulging 
pomp that the glory of a prince is best displayed, but by 
useful enactments, virtuous associations, and an upright 
uniformity of conduct. 

Unreasonable, however, as the demand of Ahasuerus 
was, Vashti ought not to ha've been so peremptory. In 
such an age, and under such a government, a roomeRt’s 

* -VJat. xvi. 29 . 


ESTHER, 


323 


consideration must have excited in her an apprehension 
of danger. Besides, it was not the time for remon¬ 
strance. She was no private character ; it was, there¬ 
fore, an injudicious resistance of his authority. Obedi¬ 
ence would have involved no guilt; but disobedience, 
even though the command were ridiculous, necessarily 
exposed her husband’s authority to contempt. It must be 
admitted in Christian communities, that the Gospel re¬ 
quires submission on the part of a wife ; nor is this requi¬ 
sition limited solely to those commands which the woman 
herself may deem just and proper, otherwise her own 
humour, caprice, or misconception, would perpetually 
infringe upon a positive law, and, in fact, render it nuga¬ 
tory. On the other hand, if the husband would secure 
a cheerful obedience, and cherish, instead of spoil, an 
amiable temper, or regulate a peevish one, let his wishes 
be reasonable in themselves, and uttered without a look 
or a term expressive of an insolent consciousness of 
superiority. 

Ahasuerus instantly resented the refusal of Vashti. 
His passion became outrageous, sensible that his dignity 
was insulted and his authority questioned. He not only 
felt the uncomplying.message of the queen as a sufficient 
mortification to his personal vanity, but as a public attack 
upon his influence and power as a king. It was not in a 
retired apartment, or on a private occasion, but, in a 
sense, before the eyes of a hundred and twenty-seven 
provinces ! 

Immediate recourse was had to his counsellors, who 
concurred in the opinion of Memucan, that it was a public 
question of great importance to the future welfare of the 
state, and affecting the domestic felicity, not of the king 
only, but of every family in the Persian empire. The 
advice he gave them, which Ahasuerus promptly followed, 
was to divorce Vashti, and interdict her for ever from 
reappearing in the royal presence. “If it please the 
king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and 
let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the 


324 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

BTedes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more 
before king Ahasuerus : and let the king give her royal 
estate unto another that is better than she. And when 
the king’s decree which he shall make shall be published 
throughout all his empire (for it is great,) all the wives 
shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and 
small.” It is not surprising that such a gratifying, but 
unchristian proposal, should be adopted by an arbitrary 
heathen monarch. Neither Memucan nor his royal mas¬ 
ter had drunk at the purifying fountain of evangelical 
truth. 

God was now making “the wrath of man to praise 
him.” Human passions, prejudices, and errors, were 
promoting divine designs. The feast, and the riot, and 
the vanity, and the rage of Ahasuerus, all concurred, 
though unconsciously on his part, to fulfil the mighty ar¬ 
rangements of Providence, and to introduce a train of 
events which now march through the page of sacred 
history in rapid and wonderful guccession. 

After the divorce of Vashti, the ministers of Ahasuerus 
advised him to adopt speedy measures to fill up the va¬ 
cancy in his affections and his throne. Their plan ex¬ 
hibits the barbarity of the age and the sensuality of the 
king. He was to have his choice of all the “ fair young 
virgins,” collected from the provinces of the empire ; 
and it devolved upon ‘Hadassah or Esther, an orphan 
educated under the insp-ection of Mordecai, her cousin 
and guardian, one of the captive Jews at this period at¬ 
tached by some employment to the royal establishment. 
That God, who had bestowed upon this young Jewess 
unusual beauty, gave her favour in the eyes of the^king, 
and secretly accomplished his own gracious purposes 
respecting his people by her advancement. 

Little did any of the persons immediately concerned in 
this affair imagine the predestined results. Ahasuerus 
was gratifying his passions ; Esther* and Mordecai con¬ 
forming to an irresistible influence; Hegai, the keeper 
of the women, following the impulse of a secret admira- 


ESTHER. 


325 

tion, and, perhaps, aiming to ingratiate himself in the 
favour of one whom he might suppose likely to become 
the future queen; while the Supreme Disposer was 
making use of all this variety of feeling and design as the 
means of securing the ends in his omniscient view. 

Esther retained her humility of spirit after her eleva¬ 
tion of circumstances ; for she “ did the commandment 
of Mordecai like as when she was brought up with him.” 
She was one of the very few that resist the allurements 
of splendour—that cherish kindness for their poorer 
relatives—and remember with gratitude the guardians of 
their youth. 

Mordecai, having detected a conspiracy against the 
king, mentioned it to Esther, who named it to her royal 
consort; by which means the traitors were soon brought 
to execution. This circumstance rendered the faithful 
Jew known to his sovereign. It was attended, indeed, - 
by no immediate recompense ; but* he felt a satisfaction 
in having done his duty, incomparably more grateful to 
an unambitious mind. 

The danger to which the great king of Persia was ex¬ 
posed by the machinations of his domestics, shows the 
counterbalancing disadvantages which attach even to the 
most prosperous condition of human life ; the conduct of 
Mordecai, on this occasion, teaches the allegiance we all 
owe both to our lawful king, and to the Sovereign of the 
universe; and the circumstances of the whole transac¬ 
tion, though for the present otherwise unnoticed, being 
“ written in the book of the Chronicles before the king,” 
reminds us of the “ Lamb’s book of life,” that faithful 
register of the pious services of his people, which, if not 
in this life, shall be fully requited in another. 

Great princes often act capriciously, and advance to the 
highest stations those whose personal insignificance or 
baseness must otherwise have rendered them contempti¬ 
ble. Thus Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the Agagite, to 
the place of his prime minister ; who received that ho¬ 
mage from the multitude, which persons of rank and 

VoL. I. E e 


'^26 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

eminent station usually secure in all countries, but which 
is peculiarly exacted under arbitrary governments. The 
flattering incense of the king’s servants was accepted by 
Haman as a fragrant offering, while his vanity feasted 
itself most luxuriously upon popular admiration. 

But, in proportion to a man’s eagerness after honour, 
will be his sensibility to the slightest affront, and his readi¬ 
ness to interpret, in the worst sense, even unintentional 
neglect. It will not appear surprising to those who are 
acquainted with the heart of man, that this new favourite 
should have felt even more pain from the disrespect of 
one individual, than pleasure from the reverence of ten 
thousand others : and this, not because of any extraordi¬ 
nary importance which the dissentient had acquired, but 
simply on account of the extreme susceptibility to ap¬ 
plause which the dignity and the pride of Haman had 
sup’erinduced. Mordecai, in fact, refused to pay that 
homage to the prime minister which the king commanded ; 
and he persisted in his refusal, notwithstanding the re¬ 
monstrances of the king’s servants, who “ spake daily 
unto him.” The known loyalty of Mordecai renders it 
certain that this determination did not proceed from any 
disesteem of the king ; his character is an equal pledge 
that it did not originate in envy, or any ridiculous pique : 
it must have been a conscientious scruple, and the proba¬ 
bility is, that the king required for his favourite a religi¬ 
ous homage, similar to what the Persian monarchs were 
accustomed to claim for themselves. The minister was, 
besides, an Agagite, and therefore, probably, of the race 
of Amalek, a people against which Jehovah had pro¬ 
claimed a perpetual and exterminating war. If these 
were his motives, he is rather to be extolled for his he¬ 
roism, than censured for his temerity. A man of God 
should persevere in his duty at all hazards, unseduced 
by the flatteries, and unawed by the threats of mankind. 
He must contend against spiritual wickedness, oppose 
internal lust, and resist external temptation. He must 
brave alike caresses and sneers ; the importunity of the 


ESTHER. 


327 


timid, and the insistance of the powerful: so, however 
reproached by nien, he will be honoured by God. 

The officers of the king, at length, resolved to inform 
his favourite of this determined omission to pay him re¬ 
verence. Haman became incensed, and his rage burned 
with destructive violence. Having been told that Mor- 
decai was a Jew, he instantly vowed to revenge his mor¬ 
tification, not only by punishing the individual, but by 
destroying the nation : and as the Persian monarchy, at 
this period, included Judea, had not Providence signally 
interposed, few if any could have escaped. How cruel 
is wrath, how outrageous anger! Thousands are devoted 
to death for an individual’s conduct, who were utterly 
incapable of participating in it, and who had never even 
heard the name of their offending countryman ! Supposed 
guilt and unquestioned innocence were doomed alike to 
perish in one indiscriminate massacre! O let us daily 
pray for that “ wisdom which is from above, which is 
first pure, then peaceable^ gentle^ and easy to be entreated, 
Jull of mercy, and good fruits 

With a view of discovering the will of the gods, ac¬ 
cording to the common practice of Pagan antiquity, Ha¬ 
inan ordered the lot to be cast, which was supposed to 
discriminate between lucky and unlucky days, little aware 
that “ the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.”! 

His address to the king was artful and’ insinuating. 
Instead of stating the real cause of his defeire for the ex- ' 
termination of the Jews, he touches only upon what the 
principles of policy might seem to dictate ; and induces 
Ahasuerus to accede to his sanguinary proposal, by lend¬ 
ing him his ring to use at his own discretion. Thus the 
weakness of favouritism combines with the wickedness of 
pride, to destroy a people whose name was scarcely 
known to their prince, and whose crime was not even 
attempted to be proved by their malignant accuser. 

The decree was at length issued, and letters were 
despatched into every province of the empire, ‘‘ to de- 
Janjes ijL 17, f Prov. xvi. 33. 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

stroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews both young 
and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon 
the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the 
month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.” 
After this inhuman proceeding, “ the king and Haman 
sat down to drink; butthe city Shushan was perplexed.”* 
It is an outrage upon public decency, which even 
modern times and civilized nations have unhappily wit¬ 
nessed, to see princes dissipating their days in festivity, 
and enfeebling their reason by excess, riot, and intoxica¬ 
tion, when the calamitous circumstances of their country 
have demanded a serious investigation, a sympathizing 
regard, and a prompt relief; but still more lamentable is 
it to observe such conspirators against the lives of man¬ 
kind as Haman and Ahasuerus, sitting down to indulge in 
merriment, while Persia was bathed in tears, and innu¬ 
merable of her inhabitants written for execution. Was 
not one governor then to be found, to return an answer 
similar to that which the king of France, in a later age 
received, who had commanded the masoacrc of the Hu¬ 
guenots ? “In my district,” said one of his virtuous 
lieutenants, “ your majesty has many brave soldiers, but 
no butchers !”—This was a people, however, ignorant 
as the haughty favourite of Ahasuerus was of the fact, 
that no human power could annihilate—a people under 
the immediate protection of the eternal God—a people 
respecting whom important prophecies were yet unac¬ 
complished—a people of whom it is affirmed, Jehovah 
“ kept him as the apple of his eye.”t 

Mordecai was no uninterested spectator of these trans¬ 
actions; but went about the city, and approached even to 
the king’s gate, attired in sackcloth, and uttering cries 
of grierand lamentation. Esther, who was no less ac¬ 
cessary to sorrow in the palace than in the cottage, 
being informed of this circumstance, sent him a change 
of raiment, that she might enjoy a conversation to which 


^ Esth. iii. 13,15, 


f Deut. xxxii. 10^ 


ESTHER. 


329 


he could not be introduced in the habiliments of mourn¬ 
ing. Alas ! though the signs of affliction may be inter¬ 
dicted, the unwelcome visitant herself will intrude even 
into the most splendid residences and most elevated con¬ 
ditions ! Mordecai refused the dress, not out of disrespect 
to the queen, but to express his poignant anguish, and to 
incite her to the deeper sympathy. Esther immediately 
despatched her attendant, one of the king’s chamberlains, 
to inquire into the cause of his distress ; and this faithful 
messenger soon hastens back to detail all the proceedings 
which had been adopted in reference to the Jews, with a 
request from Mordecai, that “ she should go in unto the 
king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request 
before him for her people.” 

This was a dangerous requisition. She, therefore, 
sent back her attendant to Mordecai, to remind him that 
it was a matter of universal notoriety, whoever, man or 
woman, should venture into the royal presence without 
being called, must suffer death, unless the “ golden 
sceptre” were held out as an intimation of mercy ; and 
that she questioned the probability of this in case of her 
intrusion, since her not having been sent for during thirty 
days past seemed to indicate some alienation. 

It must be confessed, there is less of the heroine and 
the martyr in this reply than we could wish to have wit¬ 
nessed ; but, on the one hand, we may observe that a 
similar blemish disfigured the early conduct of Moses; 
and, on the other, as some extenuation, that she does not 
refuse to comply with Mordecai’s suggestion ; but merely 
referred to the danger awaiting such a proceeding, in 
order perhaps to induce him, if possible, to contrive some 
safer and no less effectual expedient. The love of life is 
a principle of human nature implanted by our Creator 
for the purpose of self-preservation, a principle which, in 
ordinary cases, cannot be violated withoiit guilt; and, on no 
occasion, can be dispensed with but from some imperious 
necessity. He who gave life, however, has a right to 
reclaim it; and that sacrifice which it would be a vice to 

E e 2 


330 FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHV. 

make to our own passion, becomes a virtuous and pious 
offering when yielded to divine requirements. 

Mordecai sent another message to Esther, at once spi¬ 
rited, pointed, and effectual. It was a moment that de¬ 
manded instantaneous action; and if the timorous queen 
cherished apprehensions on her own account, he showed 
her that she was even more likely to suffer by an igno¬ 
minious retreat than a bold advance. He reminded her 
of her Jewish extraction, and the consequent danger to 
herself in the arrangement to exterminate all that hated 
race. For though the prime minister probably would 
not have lifted his hand against the queen ; and though 
her connexion with his master, w'ho married her from 
affection as great as we can imagine a sensual and despotic 
prince capable of cherishing, seemed to promise security ; 
yet there could be no absolute dependence, and the fa¬ 
vourite of to-day might be discarded to-morrow. He 
added to this other and weighty considerations—“ If thou 
altogether boldest thy peace at this time, then shall there 
enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from an¬ 
other place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be 
destroyed; and who knoweth whether thou art come to 
the kingdom for such a time as this ?”— q, d. ‘ Thy timidi¬ 
ty may prevent thy becoming the means of rescuing the 
people of God ; nevertheless, they shall assuredly escape 
—his resources are inexhaustible—his chosen nation shall 
not be annihilated—and he will not only perform the 
work without thy instrumentality, but inflict an awful but 
merited chastisement for thy misconduct. After all, I 
have better anticipations—perhaps thy wonderful advance¬ 
ment to the crown was intended by him, who sometimes 
conceals his plans of mercy in clouds of mystery, for the 
very purpose of accomplishing the deliverance of Israel 
at this critical emergency.’ 

Mordecai, in this appeal, shines as a “ wise reprover •” 
and it was “ upon an obedient ear.”* He is, moreover, 
illustrious as a man of faith. The confident tone he 

* Prov. XXV. 12^ 


ESTHER 


331 


sumed did not arise merely from that solicitude he felt 
upon the subject, and which will sometimes inspire a 
boldness not commonly manifested ; but from a knowledge 
of the prophecies, and a trust in the faithfulness of God 
respecting their fulfilment. The lyres of Isaiah, Ezekiel, 
and Daniel, celebrated in accordant strains the restora¬ 
tion of the Jews from captivity, and the advent of Mes¬ 
siah ; and he was persuaded that infinite wisdom could 
not be deceived, nor infinite power frustrated. O that in 
every minute affair of our lives, as well as with regard 
to every great event of time, we could cherish a similar 
faith in the providence of the “ God of salvation !” 

Observe, in passing, that it is reasonable and just to 
expect services from us proportioned to the situations 
which we occupy. Favours involve obligations; and 
whatever influence, talent, or means of any kind we pos¬ 
sess, ought to be conscientiously appropriated to the great 
Bestower. Every being in the universe has duties aris¬ 
ing out of his condition, by doing which he glorifies, and 
by omitting which he displeases, his Creator. Esther 
was, therefore, responsible for her actions as a queen, as 
a Jewess, and as one furnished with extraordinary op¬ 
portunities at a crisis most singular and important: and 
the remonstrance of Mordecai proved irresistible. With 
what exultation must he have received this message from 

her_“ Go, gather together all the Jews that are present 

in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink 
three days, night or day. I also, and my maidens, will 
fast likewise: and so will I go in unto the king, which is 
not according to the law ; and if I perish, I perish!” 

These devotional preparations for the experiment about 
to be hazarded, were not only highly proper in them¬ 
selves, but expressive of the piety of Esther. Absti¬ 
nence from food, an ancient practice of the church sanction¬ 
ed be divine authority, is an evidence of humiliation before 
God ; and, at the same time, adapted to produce it, by in¬ 
flicting a salutary mortification upon the corporeal appe¬ 
tites. If carried to excess, it will indeed hinder ra¬ 
ther than promote piety; but when adopted on pro- 


332 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


per occasions, and observed with judicious regulations, 
it is attended with consequences manifestly benefi¬ 
cial. The queen did not impose a service on others 
which she was indisposed to practise herself; but sym¬ 
pathizing with the condition of her countrymen, she 
participated in their self-denying duties. Let us never 
forget the promise of eternal mercy, which has consoled 
the church of God in her deepest afflictions, and upon 
which every pilgrim in Zion may depend with unhesitating 
confidence, “ Call upon me in the day of trouble ; I will 
deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”* 

When it is recollected, that the proceeding of Esther, 
in going in to the king uncalled, was a deliberate violation 
of a law of the state, and that Vashti had been discarded 
for an offence of far inferior consideration ; we cannot 
but notice the overruling providence of God, in giving 
the queen acceptance in the eyes of Ahasuerus. On the 
third day she laid aside her mourning dress, and putting 
on her royal apparel, presented herself in the inner 
court of the palace, opposite the king’s private apart¬ 
ment, where he sat upon his throne. What a moment of 
suspense and of secret agony ! If previous devotion had 
not, in some measure, tranquillized the agitations of her 
bosom, and inspired a holy courage, it is scarcely con- 
ceiva'v.Ve how a woman could sustain the trial of such an 
hour. If the sharp conflict had smitten her to the ground, 
and she had expired upon the spot, we should not, re¬ 
ligious considerations apart, have been greatly astonished ; 
but hope in God, and a composure gained, no doubt, at 
the mercy-seat, and diffused over her spirit by recent 
intercourse with heaven, prepared her to hear the man¬ 
date of death, or receive the outstretched token of cle¬ 
mency. Her splendid attire—her attractive mien—her 
beautiful countenance, in w'hich grief, anxiety, and de¬ 
votion blending their influence, produced a new and inter¬ 
esting character, fixed the king’s attention, and rein- 

* Ps. L 15. The thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of the apocryphal 
book of Esther contain appropriate prayers for this occasion, attributed to 
Mordecai and Esther, well worthy of perusal, 


ESTHER. 


333 


spired his love ; but neither the one nor the other of 
these, nor all of them in the most happy combination, 
could have produced the effect, had not the tears, the 
prayers, the fastings of Israel and of Esther, brought 
down the blessings from above. How important are 
means ! how essential is religion ! 

Behold the golden sceptre ! The queen trembles with 
rapture at the anticipated sign—it is held out—she ap¬ 
proaches—touches—triumphs—and lives! “ Let us come 
boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain 
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need !”* 

Instead of rejection and death, Esther soon found her¬ 
self treated with perfect familiarity, and more than usual 
kindness. Imagining that some important business had 
occasioned this visit, the king desired to know it, and pro¬ 
mised to gratify the queen “to the half of the kingdom.” She 
thought it prudent, however, at present, to waive the par¬ 
ticular request she had to present, simply inviting Aha- 
suerus and his favourite to a banquet, by which mark of 
attention she hopod more-effectually to confirm his re¬ 
viving fondness, and thus secure the accomplishment of 
her ultimate purpose. Her invitation was accepted. He 
repaired with Haman to the festival, where, being highly 
delighted with the entertainment, he renewed his pro¬ 
testations in reference to whatever petition she might have 
to present. The wary queen ventured only to request a 
renewal of the royal visit on the morrow, at which time 
she assured him of a full explanation of her wishes. 

There is an appearance of undue timidity in this pro¬ 
crastination ; and yet, if we were better informed of her 
secret motives, we might perhaps award her the praise 
of wisdom. The partiality of the king for Haman might 
render her doubtful of success in the contest with that fa- 
vourite; and she might think it necessary to excite both 
the curiosity and the affection of the king still more,in or¬ 
der that he might not, through being startled at the mag¬ 
nitude of her demand, instantaneously refuse it. Extremes 

^ IJeb. 16 , 


^34 FEMALE SCRIPTURE RIOCRAPHV. 

are dangerous. It would be well for us always to avoid 
both dilatoriness and precipitancy in our conduct; in or¬ 
der to which we should implore, with habitual fervency, 
the “ wisdom from above.” 

Whatever were the views of Esther, the designs of God 
were secretly maturing. Haman retired to his own house, 
full of mortification at the continued neglect of Mordecai, 
which disturbed him even when every external good 
seemed to concur in promoting his enjoyment. He call¬ 
ed his friends together, expatiated upon all his possessions 
and glory, noticing with peculiar emphasis the favour of 
Esther in admitting him as the sole companion of hie sove¬ 
reign and queen at the day’s festivity, to a repetition of 
which he had the honour of being invited on the morrow ; 
“ yet,” he added, displaying at once the festering wound 
of his heart, “ yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as 
I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” 

Never, surely, was a more complete exposure of the 
insufficiency of worldly glory to constitute happiness, and 
never a more impressive exhibition of the littleness of 
vanity. Whrtt an insignificant disappointment ig sufficient 
to mar the comfort of him who depends upon creatures ! 
The merest feather may be turned into a weapon of hos¬ 
tility,‘and destroy his peace ; and whatever he may pos¬ 
sess or acquire, he must necessarily be as remote from 
true felicity as at the first step of his pursuit, since some¬ 
thing will always be wanting to complete his bliss, and the 
phantom of ideal good will continue to dance before his 
eyes. 

Zeresh, the wife of Haman, advised him to have a gal¬ 
lows made of fifty cubits in height, upon which he should 
instigate the king to hang Mordecai. To this advice, in 
which all his friends concurred, he listened, and gave im¬ 
mediate orders for the construction of this instrument of 
death. 

What is to be done—what can be attempted by Esther 
or by Mordecai, in this critical emergency? Neither of 
them were, indeed, aware of the murderous determina- 


ESTHER. 


335 


tion. The queen had delayed her petition till the suc¬ 
ceeding day, at the intended banquet; but malevolence 
was hastening to frustrate her designs, without her know¬ 
ledge, and previously to her intercession. Could she 
ever pardon herself for this delay, when Mordecai is sus¬ 
pended ? Could she recall the past hours of festivity, in 
which so favourable an opportunity seemed to present 
itself for urging her supplication to the king ?— 

“ Stand still and see the salvation of God !” He who 
“ sitteth upon the circle of the earth,” is about to fulfil 
his own purposes, which no human projects can frustrate, 
and no apprehension of contingencies need hasten. “ On 
that night could not the king sleep.” But little did he 
know the true cause of this unusual wakefulness, or sus¬ 
pect that God wi's about to render it subservient to ac¬ 
complish his divine intentions. “ And he commanded to 
bring the book of records of the chronicles ; and they 
were read before the king.” But why did not a prince 
like this, addicted to pleasure, seek a diversion of his 
restlessness, by calling in the aid of music, rather than 
that of history ? It seems more natural, that he should 
wish for temporary amusement, rather than solid instruc¬ 
tion. What more soothing than the “ concord of sweet 
sounds ?” True ; but that Providence which kept him 
awake, influenced him to the choice of this extraordinary 
expedient. “ And it was found written, that Mordecai 
had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s cham¬ 
berlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand 
on the king Ahasuerus.” But how came this particular 
circumstance in his personal history, to be selected on 
this occasion ? The Persian records contained events of 
astonishing magnitude, and romantic interest. They told 
of mighty exploits, and splendid conquests!—Again we 
discern that divine superintendence, by which Ahasuerus 
was led to a circumstance of his own time, in which that 
very individual was named, whose life was now in immi¬ 
nent danger, and upon whom depends so many of the in¬ 
cidents of this story. The king inquired, whether the 



336 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHV. 


fidelity of Mordecai had been properly rewarded ? To 
which his servants replied, “ There is nothing done for 
him.” The cares of empire are so multifarious and com¬ 
plicated, that we ought to make considerable allowances 
for those omissions in princes, which would be utterly 
inexcusable in others; yet it does appear surprising, that 
so signal a service as that which Mordecai had rendered 
in the discovery of a dangerous conspiracy against the 
throne, should have been totally unrequited. Happily 
for Christians, they serve a Master who cannot forget 
even “ a cup of cold water, given in the name of a dis¬ 
ciple” to one of his “ little ones 

Early in the ensuing morning, Haman hastened to the 
palace, for the purpose of obtaiuiug the royal consent to 
his malignant preparations. Now he was about to rid 
himself at a stroke of the disdainful Jew that refused him 
homage ; and anticipated the hour when he should wit¬ 
ness his enemy on the gallows, so soon and so eagerly 
prepared! It was, indeed, a strange coincidence. Aha- 
suerus is as anxious to see his minister, as Haman to be 
introduced to the apartment of his king. Each has a 
great object in view, for which the other’s concurrence 
is desired—each too is solicitous respecting the disposal 
of the same individual, and each ignorant of the other’s 
wishes and projects. 

After the usual salutations, the king entreated the 
opinion of his favourite minister with regard to the best 
mode of expressing his attachment to one whom he “ de¬ 
lighted to honour.” Haman concluded that his royal 
master, of course, alluded to him^ since he well knew no 
other shared so largely in the royal confidence ; and 
thinking to gratify the vanity of his little soul, he pro¬ 
posed that the favourite alluded to should be, for once, 
clothed in the royal apparel and crown, carried through 
the city upon the horse which was appropriated to the 
king, attended by one of the first princes of the empire, 
and have proclamation made before him, “ Thus shall it 

* Mat. X. 42. 


ESTHER. 


337 


be done to the man whom the king deFighteth to honour.’* 
Approving of this mode of testif^^ingthe regard he wished 
to express, extraordinary as it was, Ahasuerus instantly 
commanded its punctual execution. “ Make haste, and 
take, the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do 

even so to”-whom ? to my favourite Haman ?—No 

—insufferable mortification !—“ to Mordecai the Jew /” 

Behold Haman again in his hous^ “ mourning and hav¬ 
ing his head covered,” and expat^ing upon the misery 
of his situation ! His wise men and his wife agree, that 
if Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, all his contrivan¬ 
ces to ruin him would prove ineffectual; so fully aware 
were even the heathen of the peculiar interpositions of 
Providence, in former times, on behalf of that scattered 
people. 

In the midst of their consultations, the king’s chamber- 
lain came to attend Haman to the banquet prepared by 
Esther. He goes—but rather like a man led to execu¬ 
tion, than one invited to a festival. But he must conceal 
his chagrin, and assume the smile of gayety. 

Having partook ot the feast, Ahasuerus requires of 
Esther the fulfilment of her promise, in the explanation 
of her wishes. He assures her, with reiterated protes¬ 
tations, that her petition shall certainly be granted, “ even 
to the half of the kingdom.” How was he astonished, 
when she entreated for her own life, and that of her peo¬ 
ple ! It had never entered into the mind of the king, 
that such a request was necessary. Is it possible that he 
hears aright ?—Ignorant that he had really prostituted 
his authority to sanction the destruction of the queen as 
a Jewess, he looks at her and Haman with wild confusion, 
while she proceeds in a strain of firor, dignified, and elo¬ 
quent statement: “For we are sold, I and my people, to 
"he destroyed, to be slain, and to perish ; but if we had 
been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, 1 had held my 
tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the 
king’s damage.” 

VoL. I. F f 



338 


FEMALE SCEIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


Who can paint the terrors that gathered, at this mo- l| 
ment in the countenance of Haman, or the indignant 
frown of Ahasuerus, when he thundered forth—“ Who i 
is he ? And where is he, that durst presume in his heart 
to do so ?” The hour of detection was come. Detesta- ! 
ble conspirator, thou shalt not escape! Truth shall, at ^ 
length, come from her concealment, and wither at a touch I 
thy unmerited and unenviable distinctions ! “ Esther 

said. The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman .^’— 

The word was loath to come forth, but it strikes home 
at last. Never till now did Haman hear his true title. 
Before, some had styled him noble, others great; some 
magnificent, and some perhaps virtuous ; only Esther 
gave him his own, ‘ wickert Human.’ Ill-deserving 
greatness doth in vain promise to itself a perpetuity of 
applause.”^ 

Overwhelmed with astonishment and indignation, the 
king hastily withdrew from the banquet into the palace- ' 
garden; while the offender, who was too well acquainted 
with the countenance of his master not to perceive that 

there was evil determined against him,” writhing in all 
the agonies of despair, produced by a consciousness of 
guilt, and a dread of merited punishment, implored the 
queen to intercede for his safety. He who was profuse 
of the lives of others, with a consistency which is charac¬ 
teristic of villany and despotism, cannot endure the 
thought of forfeiting his own, but betrays a cowardice pro¬ 
portioned to his recent insolence. The king, returning 
at the moment in a state of the utmost exasperation, im¬ 
puted the worst motives to his suppliant altitude, and al¬ 
lowed his servants to rush forward and cover Haman’s 
face, as a person under sentence of death. The misera¬ 
ble criminal had, probably, many flatterers in the days 
of bis greatness, but his adversity shows that he had no 
friends. Every one is eager to accelerate his destruc¬ 
tion ; Harbonah, especially, a chamberlain, proposed his 
being executed on the gallows of fifty cubits in height^ 

* Bishop Hall, 






ESTHER. 


339 


which he had prepared for Mordecai; to which the king 
immediately assented. In this manner did Providence 
take the cunning persecutor in his own snare, and vindi¬ 
cate the cause of his oppressed people. Let the ene¬ 
mies of religion tremble, while the children of God are. 
joyful in their King. The arrows which malignity shoots 
at the church of Christ shall either be broken against 
her walls, and fall pointless to the earth; or rebounding 
on the foe that ventures upon the attack, shall pierce his 
own heart. 

The advancement of Mordecai was the natural result 
of Haman’s ruin. Esther having fully informed Ahasue- 
rus of her relationship to the much-injured Jew and his 
nation, she was empowered to bestow upon him the house 
of the fallen minister. The Jews, however, were not 
yet exempted from the decree which the wickedness of 
Haman had inveigled the king to issue against them ; so 
that Esther, not merely solir.itons for kop personal se¬ 
curity or that of her friend and relative, veniured again 
before the king, “ and fell down at his feet, and besought 
him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the 
Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the 
Jews.” The king renewed the testimony of his kind¬ 
ness, by stretching forth the golden sceptre ; and the 
queen addressed him in these words : “ If it please the 
king, and if 1 have found favour in his sight, and the thing 
seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, 
let it be written to reverse the letters devised bv Haman 

V 

the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to 
destroy the Jews which are in all the king’s provinces : 
for how can 1 endure to see the evil that shall come unto 
my people ? or how can I endure to see the destruction 
of my kindred ?” 

The king was ready to concede every thing it was in 
in his power to grant; but as the laws of Persia were 
irreversible, and he could not rescind an edict alrea'dy 
issued in his several provinces, he adopted the plan of 


340 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


putting his ring into the hands of Mordecai and Esther, to 
seal whatever decree they might think it right to frame 
in the present emergency. Accordingly, they gave un¬ 
limited permission to the Jews to defend themselves, 
which it was likely would so plainly evince the royal 
wishes to nullify his former edict, that few if any would 
indulge their malice against this people, or endanger their 
own lives by availing themselves of the first order. 
Many, however, did so ; and even in the royal city five 
hundred men attacked them, probably some of the parti¬ 
sans of the late minister ; but their temerity hurried them 
on to their own destruction. The ten sons of Haman, 
were also slain, and, at the request of the queen, hung 
on the gallows. 

An annual festival, called Purim,^ was established in 
commemoration of the deliverances we have recorded, 
which the Jews continue to observe at this day. It seems 
to have been appointed by Mordecai and Esther, as a 
civil, rather than a religious feast; unless it be supposed, 
that they received some special revelation to authorize 
such a measure. It is observed in the month Adar, 
which corresponds with our February and March. 

The interesting history we have been reviewing, is 
calculated not only to impress those general sentiments of 
Providence, to which we cannot too often recur, but to 
awaken in the minds of Christians a pleasing conviction 
of that minute inspection of their affairs, and that unre¬ 
mitted care for their welfare individually, which God ex¬ 
ercises towards them. Is it possible to imagine a doc¬ 
trine more elevating than this, or more calculated to 
produce sensations of reverence, gratitude, and joy ? 
It is not presumptuous, even in a mortal “ worm,”! to 
believe that his interests engage the attention of the 

* In the Persian language Pur signifies a lot; and the reference is to 
Haman’s casting lots to ascertain the lucky month for the execution of hie 
iniquitous project against the Jews. 

f Job XXV. 6. Ps. xxii. 6. Is. xli. 14. 






ESTHER. 


341 


Infinite Being ; and that to promote them, the immense 
machinery of moral and natural means is put in motion 
—the animate and inanimate creation—mortal agents 
and spiritual beings—events great and small, past and 
present. Worm as thou art, still the central point in 
the vast circle of Providence! Worm as thou art, God 
has “ graven thee upon the palms of his hands,and 
thou shalt never perish.”! Worm as thou art, but for 
thee “ the brightness of the Father’s glory”J had not left 
his radiant sphere to become incarnate, to endure re¬ 
proach and execration, and finally to be “ brought as a 
lamb to the slaughter !”§ To hear thy supplications the 
King of heaven has erected a throne of grace —to vindi¬ 
cate thy character, to condemn thy foes, to perfect thy 
felicity, he is preparing, and will soon come to sit upon, 
a throne of judgment! i 

Review past dispensations, and gather encouragement 
for present confidence ! “ If God be for us, who can be 
against us ?”|| Did he not choose Abraham^ and call him 
his “ friend ?” Did he rHk release Joseph from the pit, 
and raise him to princely glory ? Did he not rescue 
Moses from the destructive waters, and constitute him 
the leader of his people Israel ? Did he not deliver 
David from the lion and the bear, from the giant of 
Philistia, and the royal madman of Israel! Did he not 
feed Elijah —advance Esther —promote Mordecai —^sup¬ 
port Job —aavo Tnnnh —rescue Peter^ and honour Paul? 
Has he not, in all ages, supplied the necessities of his 
saints—alleviated their sorrows—sweetened their bitter 
cup—turned death itself into life ? Can he not extricate 
them from all difficulties—pieserve them amidst all 
temptations—render them invulnerable to all attacks— 
make them more than conquerors over external misery, 
internal pollution, and Satanic malice ?—Can he not 
eventually elevate them above the reach of all evil, 
the fear of death, and the possibility of falling ? Can he 

* Is. xlix. 16. f John x. 28. f Heb. i. 3. 

§ Is. liii. 7. H Rom. viii. 31. 


342 


FEMALE SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 


not array them in the robe of light—adorn them with a 
crown of glory—make them “ drink of the rivers of his 
pleasures”*—associate them with holy angels, in a state 
©f immaculate purity—stamp immortality on their bless¬ 
edness, and “ wipe away all tears from their eyes ?”— He 
CAN—HE WILL—Our Father which art in heaven . . . 
thine is the power and the glory, for ever. Amen!” 


^ Rev. vii. 17. xxi. 4. 


END OF VOL. I. 














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